A Tale of Two Loves:Drina Denver's Story
by lalalalagirl09
Summary: Drina Denver's is plagued by memories of a violent encounter when she was a young child. She then meets the cruel and cold Eric Northman and sensitive Godric, she hopes they can help her end her terrible memories, and maybe heal her aching heart.
1. Chapter 1

"**Nightmares**

"Hide!" Drina's mother's face was a mask of pale terror and pain, a look she had never seen her otherwise strong mother wear. She was too frightened to question her and scurried out to the crawlspace underneath the stairs. The pounding on the door got louder and Drina covered her ears with her tiny hands, wet tears streaming down her face. A loud crack resounded through the air as she watched the door split open through the tiny crack in the small crawlspace.

A large man and an equally large woman stepped in, both wearing black pants and shirts and carrying multiple and equally dangerous weapons.

"We don't have much time Melinda, where is the child?" the large man shouted.

"Go to Hell!" her mother spat venomously. The man lifted his hand and hit her mother so hard in the face that she slammed into the wall. Drina flinched. She wanted to cry out, to go to her mother. But something inside her urged her to stay. The woman, a shock of long blonde hair, began walking up the corridor. Drina pushed herself against the wall, trying not to breathe. She heard her mother stagger to her feet. A strangled gasp escaped her mouth as she saw the welt swelling on her mother's face. She realized her mistake too late, as the small door opened and the woman pulled her out. Drina thrashed and struggled but the woman's grip was vice-like. Drina shuddered at the cruelty in her eyes.

"Ah, so this is the little creature," she heard the man say as he walked up to her and tugged on her black curls. "You don't look like much. Now stop fooling around! We have to leave before…" suddenly Drina's mother was attacking the man desperately trying to get to her daughter. She clawed at the man's face. In a rage, he spun around, stabbing her mother in the chest with his huge blade.

"Momma!" Drina cried as her mother slumped to the floor, her face a mask of wordless agony. She watched as her mother's life, along with her blood, flowed out of her.

"No time!" the woman hissed. Drina was struggling, trying to break free, when suddenly she heard the sound of windows breaking upstairs. The blonde woman swore.

"We have to leave her," the woman whispered hurriedly.

"But…"

"We must! We will find her again." The woman calmed the fidgeting man. Suddenly, the man came closer to Drina holding the dagger that was still red with her mother's blood. He smiled a twisted smile, one that showed her every one of his crooked, sharp teeth.

"I'll make sure of that," the man said, inching the dagger closer to her face, the metal glinting in her eye, the sharp point pricking her soft flesh-


	2. Chapter 2

**Memories**

"Drina!" a loud voice woke her. She sprang up from the bed, her forehead colliding with something solid.

"Damn, my forehead!" She opened her hazy eyes and saw the green eyes of her best friend, Jonah, staring back at her. "Sorry Jones," she muttered, rubbing her own head. He sat down on her bed, his face full of concern.

"It's fine, Drina, you were dreaming again," he said as his warm hand gently encircled her small wrist.

"Yeah, I know," she whispered, a chill running through her.

She had had the same dream almost every night for thirteen years. For the last eight of those thirteen years, Jonah had woken her up from it. His kind eyes stared at her. His huge shoulders hunched over her. He had never gotten irritated or upset over the dream. He never complained about her waking him. That was just the kind of person Jonah was, always had been since she met him.

"Thanks, Jones. What time is it?" He let go of her wrist.

"About 8 in the morning."

Drina hated getting up this early but she knew she could never fall back to sleep after that damn dream. "Did ya make me coffee?" she asked, rubbing sleep out of her eyes and stretching. Jonah's eyes followed the curve of her back intently, though she didn't notice. He looked away quickly.

"Well duh! I wouldn't wake you up without making sure your crack supply was stocked."

She snorted. "Good, go pour me a cup and I'll be down in a second," she ordered.

He stood up from her bed, shaking his head, "Fine, pushy," he teased.

Before leaving her room she wobbled into her bathroom and turned on the light. Drina immediately went to the sink to wash her face. It was the first thing she did every morning. It seemed to soothe her and wash away any trace of the dream that might be stuck in her mind. The cold water stung sweetly and woke her senses, waking her up completely. She dried her face and desperately tried to avoid the mirror, then failed miserably. She stared at her reflection. She had smooth, milky white skin and full pink lips. Her nose was long and straight, her cheekbones high. Her eyes were bright blue and right beside her left eye was a deep, long, jagged scar.

Drina hated that scar. It marred her otherwise perfect face, but more than that, it was a reminder, a brand. The scar was a faded pink after so many years but it was obviously deep and wide. It cut closely near her eye and dragged the corner of down slightly. She had had it for so long. As the years had progressed, her adult features seemed to form around the scar, making it more noticeable. She despised it and wished it would disappear one day. But it never would, the man had made sure of that.

Her eyes always coiled up with tears when she saw it, so she looked away. She tried to cover it when she went out in public. The only person she ever really felt comfortable showing it to was Jonah. She laughed as she remembered her first encounter with the boy. She was eleven and out on recess. Some girls were making fun of the scar, as usual, and she had snuck off to a corner to cry. But a scrawny, dark-haired boy followed her and sat down next to her.

"I think that scar makes you look really bad ass!" were his first words to her and they had been best friends ever since. All through school, Jonah had stayed by her side. By the time they reached high school, Jonah had grown very big and beat up anyone who gave her shit for her scar. She chuckled remembering a few times he had gotten suspended on her behalf. Since Drina's mother had been killed, she had grown-up in and out of foster homes. Jonah was always her shoulder to cry on and when she turned eighteen and aged-out of the system, he asked her to move with him into the new apartment his parents had given him.

They had been living together for over a year now and everything had been working really well. They even started a band with a few friends. Drina slowly shook herself out of her reverie. As she loped down the stairs, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans filled her nose. She sat at their small dining table where a cup of pure black coffee sat waiting for her. Drina picked up the cup and let the vapors slowly rise to her nose, clearing her head.

"Whoah, maybe I should give you two some alone time," Jonah joked as he sat across the table from her.

She opened her eyes and scowled. "Yeah, maybe," she quipped before taking a sip.

"But if I did, I wouldn't be able to give you the awesome news that _Scared of the Dark_ got a gig tonight!" Drina raised her eyebrows before giving a whoop of joy. Their band never got booked. Suddenly Drina got suspicious.


	3. Chapter 3

**Fear**

"Exactly where is this gig?" she questioned. Jonah's grin widened, making him look like a maniac.

"A nice little vampire bar down in Shreveport."

Drina's eyebrows rose past her hairline. "A vampire bar?" she asked skeptically. Since vampires had "come out" of their coffins a few years ago, Drina had never met one and she wasn't sure she wanted to now.

"Yup," Jonah confirmed.

"What's it called?" she asked.

"Get ready for this," Jonah paused for dramatic effect, "Fangtasia!" he shouted in a completely corny Transylvanian accent, making his two fingers into fangs and pressing them into his mouth.

Drina burst out laughing. "Fangtasia?" she questioned, amused. He nodded.

"Do not mock the living dead, my dear," he said in a snippy tone.

"Oh heavens, no of course not!" she shouted in mock horror. "But really, they couldn't come up with something better than Fangtasia?" she asked incredulously.

He shrugged, "What would you prefer the Dead Bat, the Clotting Coffin, or maybe the Stake House? Ha, get it?" She shook her head.

"You're such a dork," she commented before picking her mug up and setting it beside the sink.

"And that is why you love me so dearly," he said batting his eyelashes at her. She rolled her eyes but a small smile sat on her lips. "On a more serious note, the gig is from eleven to one. So take a nap or something," he said.

"How does Daniel find these places?" she questioned, referring to their unofficial manager.

"Actually he told me they contacted him," Jonah informed her.

"You're kidding me?" Drina was amazed. Jonah shook his head. "Well they've obviously never heard you murder the drums before," Drina joked.

Jonah shot up from the table and caught Drina's waist, lifting her up easily and flinging her over his broad shoulders. She cried out in laughter, beating his back.

"Say you're sorry!" he commanded.

"No way!" she shouted. He whirled her around making the world spin, as she laughed harder.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" she gasped in between spasms of giggles. He set her down steadying her by the shoulders. Drina looked up into his green eyes. They looked like sparkling emeralds, deep and beautiful. He looked away first.

"I-uh got some errands to run," Jonah said, turning around.

"Yeah of course. Thanks for telling me about the gig," she said, awkwardly turning away.

"Yeah, no problem," he responded as he headed for the stairs.

As her fingers curled around the railing, Jonah's deep voice stopped her, "Drina."

"Yeah." She spun around.

"How long do you think it'll take us to get booed off stage?"

"Not long enough," she chuckled before bounding upstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Fangtasia**

Drina spent the rest of the day doing various odd things. She tried clearing up her room, picked out several potential outfits for the gig, and even took a nap. By the time 10:00 rolled around, she was so ready to go. She didn't actually know what one was suppose to wear to a vampire bar, so she picked something that she thought was cute. It was a skin-tight, black mini-dress that stopped about mid-thigh. She left her black hair in curls running down her back and didn't bother with cover-up since it just made it look like she was trying to hide the awful scar.

She lined her eyes with kohl eyeliner, applied mascara to her already thick lashes, coated her lips with gloss, and threw on some high-heeled boots. She was particularly short and the heels added a little height. She knew the dress looked good on her. She had a long frame with feminine curves, which the dress accentuated. She walked down the hallway and knocked on Jonah's door.

As he slowly opened the door, his eyes looking sleepy, he seemed about to say something. But his mouth snapped shut as he took her in; his eyes appraised every inch of her slight frame and landed on the heels of her boots. Drina felt a blush spread through her cheeks.

He opened his mouth, then shut it, then opened it again. Finally, he managed to mutter, "Let's go," before shutting his door and practically tripping down the stairs.

Drina felt hurt. Did she not look right? "Jonah," she said, stumbling after him. "Jonah," she repeated as she caught his shoulder in her grip. "If you don't like how I look, I can change."

"No!" Jonah cut her off. "No, you look fantastic," he said, looking her over again. She smiled, relieved.

"Oh okay, good. I thought you were upset."

"No, no," he stuttered before walking out the door.

Drina followed him, smiling. He didn't look too bad himself. He had opted for jeans and a dark, long-sleeved sweater. His dark hair was tousled in the way she loved. Jonah opened the door to the old van he owned and helped her up into the seat. Drina saw a hot flush creep into his face as his hand touched her bare legs. He shut the door and quickly came around to the driver's side.

The first part of the ride was spent in silence. "So are the guys meeting us at the bar?"

"They sure are," Jonah replied, keeping his eyes on the road.

The band consisted of Drina on lead vocals; Jonah on drums; Vinny on lead guitar; and Raphael on bass. Drina and Vinny got along great. Vinny was a total jokester and they had an easy-going friendship. As far as Raphael went, Drina didn't trust him much and he kept his distance, often saying less than two words at a time to her. But overall, she loved the band and the music they produced. After awhile the silence began to grate on Drina's nerves so she turned on the radio.

One of her favorite Flyleaf songs was playing so she blasted it and sang along freely. Jonah smiled and joined in his totally off-tune voice, clashing with Drina's perfect soprano. She didn't care, it was little moments like these that made her the happiest. They sped along the highway, music full blast, she clasped Jonah's hand and was glad for the warmth and comfort he provided. Before long, they were pulling into the packed parking lot of Fangtasia.

A blaring red, neon sign greeted them. Drina gave Jonah a look then got out of the van. Jonah went to unload his drumset. Standing near the entrance of the building were Raphael and Vinny. Vinny looked anxious as usual and Raphael the vision of calm. Drina stepped up and Vinny's face broke into a huge smile.

"Lookin' good, shorty," Vinny beamed before gathering her up into a bone-crushing hug. Despite his somewhat tough appearance, Vinny was a true gentleman and when he set her down, he gave her a small peck on the cheek. Drina smiled. Raphael gave a small inclination of his head, which was more than she expected, so she reciprocated the gesture.

Neither bandmate knew much about her past. Vinny knew bits and pieces and she wasn't sure if Raphael knew anything at all. Neither of them had ever asked so she never felt the need to elaborate, though she often caught Raphael staring at her scar. Under his intense, brown gaze, Drina always felt self-conscious. Vinny, on the other hand, acted as if he couldn't even see the scar and he never brought it up, for which Drina was eternally grateful.

As Jonah approached with his drumset in pieces, both men picked up their guitar cases and with Drina leading them they headed for the door. A tall, blonde stood at the door, very intimidating and beautiful. She smiled as they approached. Drina realized with a start that the woman had sharp fangs where her canines should have been.

"Wow, a real vampire!" Drina thought as she gawked at the woman.

"Hi there. Welcome to Fangtasia. You must be the entertainment for tonight," the lady said, her tone confident.

"That's correct, ma'am," Drina answered, her immaculate manners shining through.

"And what a morsel you are! My name is Pam, not ma'am," the woman said.

Drina nodded. Pam smiled keeping her gaze on Drina, flickering briefly to take in her outfit. Drina felt herself blush. Was Pam checking her out?

"Right this way," Pam said before turning. Her tall figure was wrapped in a tight leather dress. The band followed.

The bar was pretty big. The blood-red walls decorated with various pictures. Drina noticed signs posted against the walls, 'No Feeding on Grounds', 'Take the Killing Outside', and 'No Glamour'. Drina shivered. She really hoped those were jokes. As they passed the long bar, a man with long, dark hair smiled and winked at Drina. He had fangs also. She looked away quickly. Then Drina's eyes drifted to the center of the room where a huge, bear-clawed throne stood. On that throne sat one of the most important-looking men she'd ever seen in her life.

Even sitting, it was obvious he was tall. He was clad all in black. He had shoulder-length, light blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He was beautiful and obviously dangerous. Drina looked away and tried not to look back as she felt his gaze weigh heavily on her. They passed the throne quickly and were escorted into a small side room.

"This is where you can warm up. Be ready in fifteen minutes." As Pam passed, she stopped very close to Drina, "I very much look forward to seeing you perform," she whispered in Drina's ear before winking and disappearing from the room.

When Drina looked up all three men were staring pointedly at her.

"What?" she screeched.

"She was totally hitting on you," Vinny began.

"That's so hot!" Jonah grinned. Raphael didn't say anything.

"Grow up!" Drina felt a smile spread across her face.

For the next ten minutes, the whole band tuned their instruments and went over their set list twice to make sure they knew everything. When they were confident they wouldn't totally screw-up, Jonah began hauling the drum set and amps out onto the small, black stage. Drina's heart hammered in her chest, her palms became clammy with perspiration, and her breathing sped up. The pre-adrenaline of the show was gripping and she was more nervous than she had ever been before.

Finally they were announced and all of them clammered out on stage. Drina's pulse was pounding in her head as she stepped up to the microphone. She realized with a jolt that the stage was positioned directly across from the throne. She felt her heart skip a beat as she connected eyes with the fair-haired man. Quickly, she averted her eyes and rested them on the many patrons of he bar. Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke.

"Hey, how's everybody doing tonight?" She started feeling high on adrenaline. Luckily the crowd responded with shouts of joy and Drina felt herself smile automatically.

"Well lucky for you your night is about to get a hell of a lot better!" The crowd cheered.

"That's right, we are _Scared of the Dark_ and we're here to play some amazing music!" The crowd cheered again and then the first guitar rift of song number one began.

As soon as Drina started singing she wasn't nervous anymore. She was confident. She knew these songs, she looked great, and this was a great crowd. Pretty soon the lights, the people, and the throne melted away and it was just her riding the high of her music. She sang strongly and surely letting the words fly from her mouth, shower the crowd. She danced around stage, circling VInny, Jonah, and Raphael. She felt free. She felt alive. After that first song, things only got better.

The crowd loved them and their raw energy only delighted Drina more. She belted out the songs one after another until there weren't any left to sing. The crowd went crazy and Drina beamed. She ran to give Vinny a hug and Jonah a kiss. She even got a high-five from Raphael. This was great! Finally the band stumbled off stage. Drina plopped to the ground, sweating and exhausted, but in total bliss. Jonah came up behind her and kissed her cheek.

"You were amazing!" he said, sitting beside her obviously feeling the same high she was.

"Me? You guys were awesome!" she said, addressing the whole band.

They nodded and high-fived and laughed. Then Pam slipped quietly into the room.

"Mmm, smells like sweat and fresh blood!" she exclaimed. Drina stared, not sure what to say. Pam's laughter filled the room. "Lucky for you, Eric enjoyed your performance and wants to meet you."

"Eric?" Vinny questioned.

Pam nodded, "He's the owner of the bar. He was sitting on the throne."

Drina's heart fluttered. The owner wanted to meet them?

"Should we wait here?" Drina asked.

Pam shook her blonde head, "No, follow me."

They all stood up and quietly trailed after her.

"Wonder what he wants?" Jonah whispered to Drina as they walked back out into the bar.

"Maybe he just wants to compliment us," Drina suggested. Jonah shot her a doubtful glance as they made their way over to the throne. As they approached, Eric turned his icy gaze on them.

"Here they are," Pam announced, gesturing to the band.

Eric nodded and spoke, "Come up and sit with me." He motioned to several chairs lined next to him. Jonah began to sit down next to Eric, but he shook his head, "I want this one to sit next to me." He pointed to Drina. She nodded and complied.

Drina could feel power surrounding Eric. The rest of the band took the empty seats. Jonah next to Drina, then Vinny, and finally Raphael. The seats were positioned in a half circle, facing the throne. Drina felt very uncomfortable, especially because most eyes in the bar were on them.

"Tell me your names," Eric requested.

"Well, I'm Drina and that is …"

"Jonah," Jonah cut in.

"Vinny." Vinny waved.

"Raphael," Raphael murmured.

Drina rolled her eyes. Couldn't he even be polite to the person who had hired them? Eric nodded, smiling slightly. Drina realized with much appreciation that the vampire hadn't even payed any attention to her scar. He barely glanced at it, as his eyes met hers. Most people gawked when they first met her. She had immediate respect for this man.

"How long has your band been together?" Eric asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Not long. A little less than a year," Drina answered. Eric looked surprised.

"You're refreshingly good. Most of the bands we choose to play here seem to just shriek and bang on the drums."

Drina gave Jonah a slightly mocking smile before answering, "Thank you, sir. It was good of you to invite us to come and play here."

Eric clasped his big hands together, "You pique my interest." Something in the tone of his voice implied that he was speaking directly to Drina.

She didn't know what to say. His smile widened showing his fangs and his eyes took her figure in. She blushed and looked down. Jonah must have sensed her discomfort because he interjected.

"Well it was a great honor, but it's getting kind of late and we still have to pack up."

"Very well, you are welcome to play in my club any time," Eric offered.

Raphael exited the row of seats first, then Vinny, then Jonah. Drina began to walk away but was stopped by Eric's cool hand on her wrist. She gasped and twirled around.

"I would love to see you here again," Eric said. Then his eyes flickered to Jonah who had stayed behind to wait for Drina. "Alone," Eric murmured, staring straight into her eyes. Drina nodded as a shudder crawled up her spine. He let go of her wrist.

"Good evening, Drina." The way he said her name gave her chills. She quickly turned away and began walking next to Jonah.

"Creepy," Jonah whispered.

Drina elbowed him, "Shut up! He can probably still hear us," Drina was referring to the vampires' super hearing.

Jonah snorted, "Hit on my two vampires in one night! Whatever are we going to do with you?" he joked, putting his arm around her shoulders.


	5. Chapter 5

Glamour

Such a dork!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arm around his waist.

Drina tried to banish the odd feeling Eric had filled her with as they left the club. But her mind kept drifting back to his snow white face murmuring to her. He wanted her to come back, alone. Was he interested in her? Drina scoffed. No, nobody that gorgeous was ever interested in someone like her. She was damaged goods, ruined. Plus, Drina wouldn't even know what to expect when dating a vampire. Would he want to suck her blood? She shuddered thinking about Eric's cool lips touching her neck, his sharp fangs biting her…

Drina fell asleep that night confused and very intrigued. Her dream was different that night. She dreamt that the man had held her down and was carving strange symbols into her face and body. Symbols that meant nothing to her. In the corner her mother wheezed, "He's coming to find you. He knows what you are." And in the corner, resting his tall body against the doorframe, was Eric, watching her with those pale blue eyes…

She woke up sweating and gasping for air. Jonah hadn't come to wake her up. When she saw her clock she realized why. It was 2:30 in the afternoon.

"Shit," she murmured, dragging herself out of bed. She washed her face, then checked her phone and saw that she had missed about 5,000 calls from Jonah. She immediately called him back.

"Drina?" Jonah answered.

"Yes. Wanna explain why you've been calling non-stop for the last two hours?" she responded.

"Other than making sure you're alive, I called because I wanted to tell you that creepy vamp with the crush on you payed off big time!" Jonah said excitedly.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning Daniel's phone's been ringing non-stop! All these people want to book us because big, tall, and handsome has been recommending us!"

"That fast?" Drina asked skeptically.

"Apparently because babe were booked solid for the next few weeks!"

"Wow," Drina wondered how Eric could have gotten the word out so fast. "Are all the gigs at vampire bars?" she questioned.

"Surprisingly, no, the majority of them are at regular human bars," he answered.

"Wow."

"Yeah I know, we should really think about sending him a fruit basket or something."

Drina shook her head, "He's a vampire, remember?"

"Right, well maybe we'll send you as a little thank you gift instead."

"Maybe we should send him you for him to keep!" she deadpanned.

"Ouch!"

"Where are you, anyway?" she asked.

"None of your business," he responded.

"Geesh, fine," she replied, smiling. Her birthday was coming up and she had given him some big gift hints.

"I'll be back soon," Jonah said.

"Don't get lost," she joked.

"Too late," he said before hanging up the phone. She shook her head laughing before going to get dressed.

Turns out Jonah was so right, Eric had followed through. The band was booked almost every night that week and people all over the state were beginning to hear about their band. Drina was excited and shocked and had loads of energy for every gig. It was a dream come true for all of them. Though Drina just couldn't stop thinking about Eric and his enticing offer. So finally almost two weeks after they originally played at Fangtasia, Drina talked herself into dropping by, alone. She told herself it was because she wanted to thank Eric, but really she wanted to see him, hear him say her name again.

This time she opted for a high-waisted skirt with a white v-neck tucked into it. She wore black flats, revealing her true height, and straightened her hair. It almost reached her butt, it was so long. She kept the makeup light, only applying mascara and lip gloss. Once she got her erratically beating heart to slow down, she bounded down the stairs and practically ran into Jonah who was heading upstairs. He steadied her and then looked her over.

"Where are you going?" he asked, smiling. Drina knew she couldn't tell him about Fangtasia so for the first time in as long as she could remember she lied to him.

"I, uh, have a date," she said, which technically wasn't really a lie. Jonah knew she didn't go on many dates, but he wouldn't dare question it, would he?

"With who?" he asked.

"Just some guy I met awhile back," she stammered, again not technically a lie. "Well I'll be late if I don't go. See you later, don't wait up!" she called before running out the front door. Once she was outside, she took a deep breath and got into her car. She felt terrible for sort of lying to Jonah. Best friends didn't tell each other half-truths. But Drina knew Jonah didn't like Eric, even if he would never say it. He definitely would never approve of her going out to a vampire bar alone. So she forced Jonah out of her mind as she started out for Shreveport.

About twenty minutes later she was pulling into Fangtasia. The neon sign a loud welcome. She parked near the front and got out quickly walking to the door. Standing still as a statue, dressed in a black mini-skirt and very tall, fuck-me boots was Pam, looking gorgeous as ever. She smiled as Drina approached.

"Well, well. Look who it is!" Pam greeted Drina. "Come to see Eric I suppose," she nodded slyly. "Well sorry, sugar. He's a little indisposed at the moment."

"Oh well—" Drina didn't really know what to say. She hadn't planned for this.

"You're more than welcome to wait for him here. I know he'd be delighted to see you," Pam purred.

Drina nodded, "I think I will." Drina stepped past Pam into the crowded cacophony of noise. Pam didn't say anything more, so Drina ventured into the bar and sat at an open table. She hoped she wouldn't have to wait long for Eric. She felt totally out-of-place, neither vampires nor drinking were her thing. Drina immediately noticed the intense atmosphere. A loud club mix was playing and a sweaty pack of bodies was crammed out on the dance floor.

Strobe lights, placed only over the dance floor, provided an odd effect in comparison to the rest of the bar. Scantily clad dancers stood on tables and gyrated in sync with the music. Drina also noticed with a chuckle that there were three types of patrons in the bar: real vampires, posers who dressed in black and tried to look like vampires, and tourists who lined the bar walls looking fascinated and terrified at the same time. She laughed out loud when she saw that they actually sold t-shirts at the back of the bar. She couldn't see someone as elegant as Eric doing something so tacky, but, she supposed money was money.

As time slowly passed, she got extremely bored and decided to make a game of spotting all the real vampires and watching what they were doing. It was fairly easy. The vampires were always gorgeous and had a confident air about them. They also looked odd under the pulsing lights, more like creatures than people. She didn't like the expression most of them wore, as if they were so much better than the humans around them. It irked her. If it weren't for humans they wouldn't be alive, well mostly alive anyway.

As Drina's mental tirade continued, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She spun in her seat to find she was now face-to-face with a tall dark-haired vampire. He was very handsome and he held some kind of drink in his hand. She guessed his expression was meant to look non-threatening, but Drina could still see malice in his smile and hunger in his eyes. Still, she smiled, attempting to be polite.

"Hello there. I was over at the bar and I saw that you were all alone. I was wondering if I could join you?"

Drina's discomfort shot to alarm. She attempted to decline but he was already sitting down. She sighed and looked down in her lap. She wished she could be all uppity and think of a smart-aleck remark, like those confident girls in the many movies she had seen. But, that just wasn't her and she figured it wouldn't be a good idea to mouth-off to a vampire anyway.

"So, why is it exactly that a young woman such as yourself is here all alone in a big, bad vampire bar?"

She repressed the urge to roll her eyes and walk away. This man so didn't scare her and neither did any of the other vampires here.

"I was actually invited here by somebody, though it was an open-ended invitation. So I am here waiting for him," she explained. The vampire shook his head and made a tsking noise.

"He shouldn't have left such a delectable morsel all alone," he said.

Drina had no idea how to respond to that comment, but she attempted it anyway, "I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"What's your name, little one?" he questioned, ignoring her remark.

"Drina," she answered, automatically, internally smacking herself for saying anything. The man leaned forward and she leaned back, but not before his golden eyes caught her gaze.

"Drina. That's a pretty name," he said, but Drina hardly heard him, for the moment he caught her gaze, she was in a trance. The only thing in the world to her were those golden eyes.

"Now Drina, I want you to listen to me very carefully."

Drina nodded, not of her own will.

"You're going to leave this bar with me, understand?" he said in a light tone.

Drina nodded, again. Something wasn't right. She didn't want to leave with this man, but she felt herself getting up anyway. Those eyes were so bright, so nice, so- Suddenly the man broke her gaze and Drina blinked, feeling herself regain sanity. She looked up realizing another man was talking with the first.


	6. Chapter 6

Godric

"The rules are very clear," the other man was saying. This man was much shorter than the first and much younger-looking. My suitor nodded, not seeming to want to upset this new man.

"Eric would not be happy to know you were glamouring his customers?"

The taller man looked frightened.

"But if you leave now and never bother this young lady again, I might not tell him," the shorter man said in a calm, but firm tone. The taller man nodded, muttering his apologies before heading to the exit.

Drina was left standing with the man. She really looked at him now that they were alone. The man was short, though still several inches taller than her own 5'2" stature. He had short, dark brown hair and a pale white face. His face was beautiful and he didn't look a day over 18. His features were those of an angel: straight nose, full lips, and wide eyes framed with long lashes. He looked as if he had stepped right out of a painting. Drina also noticed strange tattoos covering his arms and the part of his chest that was showing.

"Thank you," she murmured, still in awe of the boy. He smiled a lovely smile at her. Thankfully his fangs were retracted.

"No need to thank me. I was simply enforcing the rules, though you should be more careful," he said in a soft tone. Drina nodded feeling a strong urge to please this boy. She could sense he was very powerful but his voice was feathery soft with the slightest of accents. She ached to hear it again.

"I didn't mean, I, well…what did he do to me?" she asked dumbfounded.

He chuckled, "He was glamouring you."

"Glamouring me?" she questioned, testing the sound of the unknown word.

He nodded and explained, "It's a sort of hypnosis vampires use to bond humans to their wills. It is strictly prohibited here." She nodded trying to process the new information.

"Why would he want to glamour me?"

"It is quicker and easier than trying to seduce you. He did it in an attempt to feed from you and possibly for other, uh, uses."

Drina blushed furiously as she grasped his meaning.

"Well, then double thank you," she said stupidly. He chuckled again.

"How is it that you don't know of glamouring?"

"Well I don't hang around vampires much. This is not my kind of thing," she answered honestly. He nodded as he sat down. She felt compelled to sit also.

"Then why is it that you're here? You are curious?" he asked.

She shook her head smiling, "No, not really. I could have gone without that incident! I was actually invited here a while back by the owner. I chose the night he isn't here to show up," she smiled.

"Eric invited you?" he sounded surprised.

"Yes, do you know him?"

He chuckled a light sound that Drina enjoyed immensely.

"Very well," he answered, atypically. "But how do you know him?" he asked after he had sobered.

"I met him here a few weeks ago after my band played for him."

"Ah, I see, you must have caught his attention."

"That's what he said."

He smiled.

"He has always had an eye for beautiful women," he said. Drina blushed again. He hadn't said this in a 'hit on you' kind of way but more in a 'matter-of-fact' manner which pleased Drina to no end.

"Please excuse me for being rude. I never introduced myself. I am Godric. And you are…?"

"Drina," she answered. "Drina Denvers."

"Well Miss Denvers, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. She smiled at his old-style manners.

"As am I." Drina instantly liked Godric. She wasn't intimidated y him as she was by Eric. She felt very safe around him.

"How long have you been waiting for Eric's arrival?" Godric asked.

She thought about that, "Uh about thirty minutes."

"Well he should be here very shortly. Would you mind if I waited with you until he arrives?"

"I'd like that very much," she answered smiling.

"Would you like me to get you a drink?"

She shook her head, "Too young."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen," she answered. She didn't feel weird confessing her age considering he looked so young.

"You are quite young."

"You don't look much older," she hinted.

"Yes, but I am. Looks are deceiving."

She didn't ask his age, she was afraid it would offend him. They spent the next several minutes talking about various things. Drina felt herself opening up to him, talking candidly. She found herself sharing personal things, like funny memories of Jonah. After sharing one particularly funny story about a Halloween mishap, Godric asked a dangerous question.

"Do you love this boy?"

"Who, Jonah?"

He nodded.

"Very much so, but like a brother. He is truly the only real friend I've ever had. He's taken care of me most of my life. But am I in love with him? No."

Silence passed between them. Finally Godric asked the inevitable question.

"This scar—" he began, gently touching the side of her face. "How did you get it?" He wasn't being rude, Drina could tell. He was simply curious. She took a deep breath and looked down.

"It happened a long time ago," she started, answering nothing.

"Someone cut me," she answered honestly but did not elaborate. Godric nodded. He sensed she didn't want to tell the story so he didn't pry.

"I can tell it makes you self-conscious."

She wondered how he knew that as she had forgotten it was even there tonight.

"You cover it with your hair and often place your hand over it," he seemed to read her mind. She felt herself flushing, wishing he wouldn't talk about it. "You shouldn't try to hide it."

She looked up, questioning him with her eyes.

"It's part of what makes you so beautiful," he answered.

She felt her eyes fill with tears of appreciation. She may not have agreed with him, but that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her.

"Thank you," she murmured, trying to convey her feeling with her eyes. Her whole life she felt that scar was an ugly reminder of what made her so much different than everyone else. Now, here someone was telling her they thought it made her beautiful, complete. He nodded solemnly and seemed about to say something else when suddenly a very tall, blonde vampire walked up to their table.

Drina had completely forgotten about Eric upon meeting Godric. But it was pretty darn hard to ignore a gorgeous, fair-haired vampire. She smiled brightly up at him. He smiled back.

"Well hello, Drina. Pam told me you have been waiting. I'm awfully sorry for the delay. I see you have met Godric."

Drina nodded. "He saved me from being glamoured out of the bar."

Eric's eyebrows shot up as he looked toward Godric. Godric laughed.

"She is a vampire magnet this one," Godric explained. "Come Eric, sit with us."

Eric grabbed a seat and settled into it at the small table. Drina could tell Godric and Eric knew each other very well. It was in the way they acted around each other. It reminded her of Jonah and herself.

"Drina and I were just becoming acquainted with each other when you showed up. She's quite a delightful young woman," Godric said.

"Very much so," Eric murmured, again, drinking Drina up with his eyes. She blushed under his scrutiny.

"Eric," Godric warned Eric in a disapproving tone.

Eric chuckled and looked away. Drina felt as though she could breathe again. She looked up and smiled.

"So how do you like my bar?" Eric asked.

"It's very…interesting," she hesitated. Eric gave her a questioning look.

"Well before you got here and before I met Godric, I kind of divided the bar patrons into three categories," Drina explained. "Real vampires," she pointed at a random vampire to illustrate. "Wannabees," she pointed to a goth poser. "And tourist," she finished by pointing at the people lining the walls.

Eric burst out laughing. Godric regarded her with curious eyes. "Wannabees?" Godric questioned.

She nodded. "Yeah, the fakers dressed in black that follow the real vampires around," she explained.

"Oh, but we already have a name for those kinds my dear," Eric said.

"What's that?"

"Fangbangers," he answered, wryly.

Of course Drina had heard the word but now she could actually put a face with the term.

"Those are what you call humans who hang around vampires," Godric explained.

"But surely not everyone who hangs around vampires is that extreme. Unless there's a rule about wearing all black and smearing pasty white make-up onto your face!" Eric laughed.

"No rule about that and there's no name for regular people who hang around vampires," Godric countered.

"Well there should be," she said stubbornly.

Both Godric and Eric smiled. Suddenly, the oddity of Drina's situation hit her. She was sitting in a vampire bar, between two vampires she barely knew, having a conversation about Fangbangers. She also knew she had to get home soon, Jonah was probably worried sick.

"I better get home," Drina got up, excusing herself awkwardly.

"Did we scare you off?" Eric said in a mocking tone.

"No, it's just not the best idea to be sitting here with two men I barely know late at night," she explained honestly.

Eric and Godric exchanged a look. "If we wanted to harm you, you would have been dead the minute you walked through the door," Eric explained. He was not trying to scare her, he was simply informing her.

"Maybe you don't want to hurt me. Maybe you want other things," she said just as matter-of-factly. Eric smiled.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't rush a virgin." Drina's mouth dropped open. How could he possibly know that?

"Eric!" Godric spoke angrily. Eric turned to him speaking in a language she did not understand.

Drina spun around and stomped toward the exit, shocked, embarrassed, and angry.

"I'll be seeing you again very soon my sweet Drina!" She heard Eric call after her. Without turning around, Drina flipped Eric off and continued to her car. His deep chuckle filled her ears.

As she drove home, many thoughts filled her head. Thoughts of both Godric and Eric. She decided she really respected Godric and thought he was kind, for a vampire. As for Eric, he infuriated her. She thought he was rude and egotistical and way too tall! By the time she got home, she was fuming and she slammed on the brake. She planned to go inside and go right to sleep. Apparently, life had other things in store. The moment she walked in the door, Jonah sprang up from the couch.

"Oh my God, there you are! I was about to send a search party out to find you!" He sounded relieved.

"I told you not to wait up," Drina retorted, annoyed. She headed for the stairs but Jonah caught her arm. "What!" she shouted. He flinched.

"I was just gonna ask how it went. But, I'm guessing not too well," he said calmly.

"I don't know, it was, different."

"Different?"

"Yes! Different!" she shouted, pulling away from his grip.

"Gee, okay then," he muttered as she stomped upstairs.


	7. Chapter 7

**Crisis**

The next morning was Monday, which meant Drina had to get up early and drag herself to work. She was acting, as a sort of veterinary's assistant. She didn't do much, just weighed and transferred animals and reviewed their information. But she loved her job. She had always loved animals and she loved being around them. They seemed to calm her.

She quickly dressed in her uniform, which consisted of her white shirt with the business logo, and her used and abused khaki pants. She gathered her hair into a high ponytail and hurried downstairs. When she got to work, the building's resident dog came up to greet her. As he licked her hand and wagged his tail, she bent down to pet him.

"Hey there, Ocho," she cooed, snuggling the dog. He was a gorgeous Husky and Drina's favorite co-worker. "Come on boy," she said, getting up and walking back behind the counter where her desk sat.

Drina's bitchy co-worker, Jenna, sat next to her fiddling with her French-tip nails. She barely glanced up when Drina sat down. Drina inwardly scowled and wondered why someone like Jenna worked in a place full of animals. Drina sighed, as she got ready for an inevitably long day.

Around lunchtime, the slowest time of the day, Drina sat back and did some good old eavesdropping on Jenna's phone conversation. It was one of Drina's favorite pastimes; Jenna's trite conversations amused her immensely.

"So good!" Jenna squeaked into the phone. "Oh my God, all the rumors are so true, trust me. I had like seven orgasms in one night and he never got tired!"

Drina turned a deep red when she realized Jenna was talking about her sex life.

"The biting's not so bad, it doesn't even really hurt. The marks fade after awhile." Drina glanced through Jenna's bleach-blonde hair to her neck. Sure enough, two long, purplish marks decorated her neck.

Jenna was dating a vampire or at least having sex with one. That made Drina wonder if Jenna was all talk or not. She rolled-up to her computer and opened an Internet tab and googled 'sex with vampires'. Of course several porn websites popped up at first, but once she skipped those she found a _Cosmopolitan_ article that looked promising. It was about the benefits of sex with vampires. It included several things like a statistic that said that women who had sex with vampires had a 95% higher chance of having an orgasm than women who had sex with human partners.

She gasped at this and scrolled down right as she got to a section titled, "What Makes Them So Good". A message from Jonah popped up on her IM. She yelped and jumped about a foot. Jenna turned and gave her a dirty look, which Drina returned and then she turned to read the message:

2HOT4U: Hey sorry to interrupt you during work but you got a package.

AnimalGirl: So?

2HOT4U: And it's just sitting here all lonely. I'm dying to know what's inside!

AnimalGirl: You know opening someone else's mail is the against the law.

2HOT4U: I know! That's why I'm asking you if I can open your mail!

AnimalGirl: Fine, go ahead, but tell me what it is.

2HOT4U: What do you think I'd leave you hangin?

AnimalGirl: IDK, I wonder about you sometimes

2HOT4U: I'm offended! BTW BRB

AnimalGirl: Hurry up! Ya got me all excited!

AutoResponse from 2HOT4U: Opening your package. Hold your Horses!

Drina smirked at that and waited for him to return.

2HOT4U: Uh Drina didn't know you were planning on killing anyone

AnimalGirl: Only u, but how'd you find out?

2HOT4U: Because someone sent you a big ass dagger

Drina frowned.

AnimalGirl: That's odd. I don't remember ordering that from the S&M sex shop.

2HOT4U: Oops! Want me to send it back?

AnimalGirl: That depends, what's it look like?

2HOT4U: Well the blade itself is really long and the handle is made of some silverish metal with red and blue gems encrusting it. It's kinda pretty actually

Drina's heart dropped.

AnimalGirl: That's a sick-fucking joke Jonah!

2HOT4U: WTH are you talking about?

AnimalGirl: You just described the same kind of knife that killed my mom!

2HOT4U: … It's not a joke

AnimalGirl: Yeah whatever

Drina felt her eyes fill up with tears. Why would he do this?

2HOT4U: Drina! I'm not making this up! Look, I'll send you a pic on my phone

A few minutes later, Drina's cell buzzed. She opened it to find a new picture message from Jonah. She hesitantly opened it and nearly dropped the phone. That was it! The knife she had been seeing in her dreams for nearly 14 years.

2HOT4U: Did you get it?

AnimalGirl: I got it…

2HOT4U: And…

AnimalGirl: That's the one…

2HOT4U: You've got to be shitting me!

AnimalGirl: Check the return address on the package

2HOT4U: There isn't one

AnimalGirl: WTF! Jonah, I'm coming home right now!

2HOT4U: I'll be waiting

2HOT4U has signed off

Drina's heart was racing. Her palms had started to sweat. This had to be a joke, right? Yes this was a joke, she told herself as she numbly got up from her chair and headed for the exit. She distantly heard Jenna shouting, "Where the hell are you going?" But she didn't stop to answer; she kept walking and got in her car.

She drove slowly, dreading what was waiting for her. She somehow felt that if she couldn't see it, it wasn't there. Maybe this was all some mistake or a sick joke, she thought as she pulled up to the apartment. Her heart hammered in her ears as she opened the door. Jonah was sitting at the table, but she barely saw him, barely heard him because her eyes were fixed on it. The blade was gold just like she remembered and it glinted in the light. She gently touched it, then flinched from it as if it had burned her.

"Are you sure it's the same one?" wondered Jonah.

That's when Drina snapped. She turned toward Jonah.

"Yes it's the same one! The same knife that's been in my nightmares for the past 14 years!" she screamed. "You think I wouldn't know the knife that ruined my face, that killed my mother?" And then she burst into tears, long sobs that strangled her throat and drenched her cheeks.

Jonah reached out and gathered her into his embrace. His strong arms holding her close to his chest. He didn't say false words to try to comfort her. He didn't coo at her and stroke her hair. He simply held her as she drenched his shirt. When her sobs turned into dry hiccups, she slowly walked over to the couch and sat down heavily. Jonah sat next to her rubbing her back.

"How is this possible, Jonah?"

"14 years and nothing and then suddenly THAT shows up!" she said, jabbing her finger at the knife.

"I don't know Drina, I really don't. Who all knows about what happened?"

"Nobody, except you Jonah, no one. I mean Vinny might know bits and pieces, but not nearly enough to know the exact resemblance of the knife. You didn't even know that!" she said, not wanting to admit the truth.

"The only person who could possibly have sent it is the one who had it and knew what happened. The man who killed my mother," she said.

Slowly sensing the truth in her words, Jonah said, "But why now, Drina? Why after all of these years? Did they even know your name? How could they know where you live?"

"I don't know Jonah!" she shouted, and then teared up again. "All I know is they said they'd find me, they said…" she choked up again.

Jonah hugged her again, kissing the top of her head.

"No, Drina, no they won't! I won't let them!"

She knew that was silly if they really wanted to kill her, Jonah couldn't help. But it was nice to hear, regardless.

"We should call the police," Jonah said.

Drina snorted, a humorless sound.

"And say what? A mysterious package arrived from someone…we don't know and can't find…they sent us the knife I remember my mother being killed with."

Comprehension filled his green eyes.

"There's no proof in that Jonah. Even if there were, they wouldn't know what to look for. They'd just file a police report, then forget about it."

Jonah nodded, "Fine, but if anymore of these little surprises show up, then we're calling the police," he said firmly.

"All right," she agreed. But she had a sinking suspicion the police couldn't do a goddamn thing about it. Something inside her told her this was bigger than anything she could ever understand. That frightened her much more than the knife lying on her table.

"Jonah," Drina whimpered in a small voice.

"Yes."

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Of course," he answered gently.

And he did. When Drina went to her room to go to bed, Jonah followed and lay quietly with her until she fell asleep in his warm arms.

The rest of the week went by without incident. Jonah had done something with the knife and Drina didn't care what, as long as she didn't have to see it again. Even though nothing was happening at the moment, Drina knew the storm was far from over. She was scared and pissed. The moment she had seen that knife, a rage had woken inside of her, a rage that had been building for 14 years.

They continued playing gigs pretty constantly. Drina even heard Jonah mumble something about a record deal. But Drina was pretty sure that Jonah was full of shit. It wasn't until they played at a small, Goth club near Shreveport that Drina saw a familiar, if not unwanted, face. They had just finished playing and Drina's hair was sticking to the back of her neck. She was drenched with sweat. The best kind of feeling was after a show, when she knew she had done great.

With much dismay, Drina saw Eric's blonde head sticking out from the rest of the crowd. He was sitting quietly at a back table.

"Did you bring Godric?" she asked as she approached the table.

"No, just me tonight."

"Then maybe you should leave," she said flippantly. Eric smiled.

"You're not insinuating that you like him better than me, are you?" he asked, feigning hurt feelings.

"No, I'm not insinuating anything. I'm telling you outright that I like Godric better than you," she said sitting down. Eric chuckled.

"I like this whole sweaty disheveled look, it's nice," he said.

"Oh not as much as I like that smug bastard look," Drina deadpanned. He laughed in delight.

"Ya know you're pretty good at this bantering thing," he said.

"Ah, gee thanks. I practice," she said, tilting her head back to finish the remnants of her water bottle. She could feel Eric's gaze on her neck but she ignored it. "Why are you here?" she questioned, setting the bottle on the table.

Eric tried to look innocent and failed. "I heard that you were playing and I just had to come and see. I do very much enjoy your performances. It's quite tantalizing watching you sing, all sweat and energy and skimpy clothing."

Drina burned a bright red. He had someone managed to make her performance, her livelihood sound like a trite, little show for him. Her blood boiled. "It wasn't for your benefit!" she spat.

"Oh I know. I still enjoyed it, nonetheless."

"Well I'm happy for you I guess," she said still not understanding why he was there.

"Don't raise your hackles at me. I'm not here to upset you," he said.

"Then why are you here?" she asked.

"I came to apologize for the other night," he said, his voice ringing with sincerity.

She knew Eric was not the kind of person that apologized often and she was going to take full advantage of this rare moment.

"Oh, you mean when you rudely degraded and embarrassed me?" she asked, sweetly.

He rolled his eyed, "Don't be immature. Yes, for that."

"I'm guessing Godric put you up to this."

"I'm not a complete asshole. Godric may have made some suggestions, but ultimately, the choice was mine." Eric paused, seeming to be lost in thought. "He sees something in you. He keeps trying to convince me you shouldn't be thrown aside."

"Oh you mean fed from, fucked, and then left behind? That something he sees, Eric, is called compassion. But I know you wouldn't understand the concept."

Eric's eyes lit up with cold rage.

"Do not speak to me about compassion little girl! I've had many more years to grasp the meaning of it than you!"

Drina was taken back for a second, but then recovered quickly.

"That may be so, but that doesn't mean you understand it!" she retorted, before getting up and walking away. When she got back to the band, she turned back and Eric was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

First Kiss

Naturally, when Godric showed up at the apartment a few nights later, Drina wasn't surprised. It was early twilight. The moon had just risen and Drina had been sitting on the old, dilapidated swing set in front of her apartment. She liked to go there to clear her mind and just think about things. She had been thinking of her mother when she felt Godric's presence. She turned to face him as he sat next to her on the swings, but said nothing. It was peaceful having Godric there. He didn't disturb her with idle chatter. He just sat, content in the quiet of the evening.

"You intimidate him, you know," Godric spoke so softly, Drina was sure she imagined the words.

"Who?" she asked softly, although she already knew the answer.

"Eric. He is not used to seeing humans as equals. But, he's having trouble just disregarding you like he's done to so many others."

"Good. I hope he suffers a load of internal conflict. Just call me Karma," she replied.

Godric laughed at this.

"You're different, you know?" he was using his matter-of-fact tone again.

"Yeah, I've been told that my whole life. Doesn't mean I understand it."

They lapsed back into comfortable silence again. Finally Drina spoke.

"How did he know?"

"How did he know what?"

"That I'm a vi-" Drina struggled with the word.

"Virgin?" Godric supplied.

She nodded, looking at the dying grass under her feet. It had been worn down over the years by children dragging their feet to slow themselves.

"It's your scent," he explained.

She looked at him questioningly.

"Virgin blood is sweeter than others, sharper. It has a very distinct smell and taste," he elaborated. She nodded, digesting the information.

"So you knew I was one too?"

"Of course. It's what first attracted me to you. But I never would have said anything."

Drina chuckled, "Yeah because you're not rude and obnoxious."

Godric smiled, "Eric can be a little much, but he is genuinely a good man when you get to know him."

Drina couldn't imagine that, but she tried.

"How did you meet him?" she asked. Silence filled the air as Godric seemed to get lost in his thoughts. Drina almost regretted asking the question.

"I met him many years ago. When he was still human. I chose to bring him over."

Drina was not expecting this. "You mean…you made him?" she asked, shocked.

"I did."

Drina had sensed they were close but she never imagined that they were that close.

"So you guys stay in touch then?"

"Of course we do. When I first turned him, we stayed together, traveled together, survived together. We spent centuries together, roaming the earth."

"Why did you split apart?" Drina asked quietly.

"Eric wanted to explore the world alone. He had curiosities, ideas, as we all do, so I let him go…released him."

Again silence passed the night breeze lightly whipping Drina's hair around her face. She could never imagine all of the things Eric and Godric had been through. Centuries together. That was a long time to know somebody.

"Do you love him?" she asked so quietly, she was afraid Godric had not heard her.

"Very much so. Having gone through what we have together creates a very strong bond, a special love for one another. He is my child. My gift to the world."

Drina's heart sped up as she felt Godric's cool fingers grab a lock of her hair, twist it around his finger, and then place it behind her ear. She looked up at him. He was so beautiful. She wanted to reach out and touch him but she didn't dare. He lifted his hand and gently traced her scar.

"How did it happen?" he asked for the second time.

Drina was quiet for several seconds. Finally she decided it really didn't matter if she told him. What would he care? Maybe it would even help her to tell someone else.

"It happened when I was six," Drina began. "I had always lived with my mom alone because my father ran off before I was born. I—I think she felt guilty because she was always trying to be Supermom. Cook the best dinners, read to me every night, sing to me. I didn't know any better though. I never felt like anybody was missing." Drina began to tear up but tried to hold her tears back.

"All I needed was my mom and I would be fine. A few months before it happened, she started acting strangely. She would mumble to herself, 'I've got to get her out of here, we've got to leave!' She would look at me with the strangest expression, like she was afraid of me. Then she made me pack up all my stuff and told me we were leaving. The day we were suppose to leave, I heard a banging on the door, someone trying to get in. She told me to hide and I did in our crawlspace underneath the stairs." Drina's eyes unfocused as she remembered the past.

"Then these two people broke in, a man and a woman. They kept yelling, 'Where is the child?' It took me a while to figure out they meant me." Tears began streaming down Drina's face, but she barely noticed them. "She wouldn't tell them. So they hit her and hit her and hit her, but she still wouldn't tell them. I just wanted it to end. I started crying and they heard me and took me out of the crawlspace. Then the man said the strangest thing, he said, 'This is the creature, she doesn't look like much!' When the man had been looking for me, my mom had gotten up and attacked him." Drina paused a long moment, pushing back more burning tears.

"So he stabbed her and she fell, and she didn't get back up. Then the woman kept saying, 'We have to hurry, we have to go!' Then I heard more sounds, the upstairs windows breaking. Then the woman said, 'We have to leave her here!' The man said, 'No.' So she said, 'We'll find her again.' And then the man cut me to make sure they would be able to find me again. That's how I got my scar."

"Did they come after you again?" Godric asked.

Drina shook her head. "No, I haven't heard anything about them this whole time…well, until-" she hesitated.

Godric gave her a sharp look, urging her to continue.

"Until last week," she admitted.

"What happened last week?" Godric asked worriedly.

"I got a package without a return address that contained the knife that killed my mother!"

A dark look filled Godric's eyes. "Are you sure it's the same knife?"

She nodded, "Positive."

"And nothing else was in this package?"

Again Drina shook her head.

"These people that broke into your house, did you ever find out who they were or what they wanted with you?"

Drina shook her head again, rage blinding her. "The police never caught them and I could never figure out what they wanted with me."

Godric seemed to be deep in thought.

"You don't possess anything that might be of value?" he asked.

"Not that I can think of," she replied.

Godric's brow creased. "I'll have to think on it. But until we figure out who it is that wants to hurt you, I offer my protection to you," he said.

Drina was taken back by his kind offer.

"Oh Godric, no, I couldn't ask you to do that," she said.

Suddenly Godric's face was inches from hers. Her breathing hitched and her heart raced. He gently leaned forward and placed his lips against her scar. His lips were cool and very soft. The feel of them made Drina's insides catch fire. He pulled back, barely, and looked Drina in the eyes before very carefully brushing her lips with his. It was a sort of kiss, cool and tender, and it lasted a couple of seconds. But it made Drina burn made her ache for more.

She wanted to grab him and make him give her a real kiss, but she was afraid if she moved it would break the light zinging sensation that was traveling between them. Drina was thankful. She was sitting because if she had been standing, she would have fallen right on her butt. She waited several, full, torturous seconds to see if he would kiss her again. But he did not. He simply pulled back. Tension built between them as they sat and stared at each other. It was too much for Drina. She wanted more, she wanted him to kiss her and touch her and…

"Good things come to those who wait," Godric said gently.

She let out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding.

"Consider yourself protected, Drina Denvers. I will be seeing you around." He reached out and gently touched her face before disappearing into the calm night.

"Damn," she muttered, before trudging back inside.

That night Drina thought of Godric, thought of Godric and touched herself, touched herself and gently moaned his name, moaned his name and ached for him, ached for him and gradually drifted off to sleep. But before the clutches of deep sleep took her, an image crossed her mind, the image of a certain tall, blonde vampire.

The next few days, Drina felt a little better knowing Godric was watching out for her. She didn't know exactly how old he was or all that he could do, but she knew he was strong and she knew he held an important place in the vampire community. Things slowly started to fall back into place for her, work, the band. Things seemed a little more normal, until one night when Jonah and she decided to go to a local diner.

They had been having fun, mocking the wait staff, eating greasy food, reliving memories. Then Drina noticed a familiar face at one of the tables near them. She didn't recognize the man at first, but then he smiled and waved. That's when she saw it, the same evil smile, the same smile that wanted her dead.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Panic**

Drina's breath halted as she tried not to scream. Jonah quickly realized something was wrong and followed Drina's line of vision.

"Drina what's wrong?" Jonah asked in a concerned voice.

"Shh!" Drina commanded. "Do you see that man behind you, don't look but I'm pretty certain that's the man."

"What man?" Jonah responded his face a mask of confusion.

"The man that sent the knife—the man that…" Drina trailed off not wanting to continue her sentence. Jonah's face filled with comprehension.

"Are you sure?" He whispered. Drina looked again. He was still staring. He still has those piercing alien eyes; the ones she remembered from so long ago. Drina nodded.

"Well we have to get out of here." Jonah responded, rising quickly. Drina's adrenaline starting pumping as she got up from the table; she knew she couldn't run but every instinct in her body was telling her to. She stiffly followed Jonah toward the exit of the restaurant trying to keep her eyes down, but she couldn't help herself from giving the man one last look before exiting. He was still staring but had made no attempt to pursue them.

As they climbed into Jonah's car Drina let out a sigh.

"Time to go to the police?" Jonah questioned.

"No," Drina quickly responded. "Take me to Fangtasia."

"Fangtasia?" Jonah asked confusedly, "Why the fuck would you want to go to a bar at a time like this?"

"Just start driving and I'll explain everything."

On the way to the bar Drina tried to explain the situation as best as she could. She recounted meeting Godric and how he had saved her from an unpleasant situation. She then explained telling Godric about her past and how he had said he would protect her. After she was done explaining everything they were almost to the bar. As they pulled into the parking lot of the gaudily lit Fangtasia Drina turned to Jonah, he had a look of absolute incredulity on his face.

"So you told some guy you barely know about your whole life and now expect him to be able to somehow save you? Have you gone crazy? What makes you think he could protect you any better than the police could?"

"Something tells me this is much more complicated than anything the police could ever figure out. Plus, I'd much rather have a vampire looking after me than a whole squad of policemen. He's wise, smart, and incredibly strong." Jonah rolled his eyes as Drina began exiting the car.

"You can wait here if you want."

"No way in hell am I letting you go in there alone." Jonah muttered as he stepped out of the car.

They both walked to the entrance together but Drina was the one to approach Pam.

"Pam, I need to see Godric, I didn't know where else to look but here."

"Well hello again little one," Pam drawled, "I'm afraid Godric is out of town for the time being, but I'm sure Eric wouldn't mind helping you with whatever it is you need." Drina let out an exasperated sigh but didn't really see another option. She figured she could at least get in contact with Godric through Eric.

"Ok, can I see him now?" Drina questioned.

"We'll see if we can find him." Pam winked motioning Drina and Jonah to follow her.

This time as Drina followed Pam into the club her attention wasn't focused on the writhing bodies all around her; she wasn't interested in people watching tonight. Her heart beat rapidly as she thought about asking Eric for help. She would rather gouge her eyes out than grovel to Eric but she didn't see another option. After what seemed like a millennia of walking the trio finally reached a tall black door that simply read "Eric Northman". Pam knocked but there was no response.

"Eric, someone's here to see you." Pam announced.

"Not now." Eric responded in a gruff voice.

"It's our delicious little human friend and she looks agitated." Pam replied eyeing Drina. After a few moments of tense silence he finally answered.

"Hold on." They waited a few moments and finally the door opened. A tall blonde in a skintight dress walked out. Drina tried to avoid eye contact but couldn't help but notice two tiny puncture marks on the girl's neck with a stream of crimson dripping from them.

"Uh you have a little—" Drina said pointing to her neck. The girl scowled as she pushed past Drina. Drina turned toward Jonah but he was gawking at the girl; Drina hit his arm.

"Focus, Jonah. I'm going to go in and talk to Eric."

"Not without me you're not." Jonah responded immediately. Drina sighed.

"This will go a lot faster if I just talk to him alone. Just trust me I'll be ok." She tried to reassure him. Jonah was silent for a few moments seemingly contemplating her words.

"Fine, but I'll be right outside of the door if you need me." She nodded before stepping into the room.

The room was much smaller than Drina had expected but just as gaudily decorated as she would expect from Eric. The walls were a deep red and there was a day bed lying against the wall made of what appeared to be black velvet. She cringed at the thought of the various sexual acts that had most likely occurred there. Eric was seated behind a huge mahogany desk in a large leather chair that resembled the throne on the dance floor. Drina walked right up to Eric and began to speak.

"I see you have a taste for classy women." Drina deadpanned referring to the blonde.

"Well not all women can be as refined as you." Eric responded smiling coyly.

"Listen, I'm not here to banter with you. As much as it kills me to say this I need your help." Drina explained sucking up her pride and going against her better judgment. Eric's smiled instantly turned devilish.

"Sit." Eric said pointing to a chair seated across the desk.

"I'd rather not. God knows what kind of diseases I could pick up from this furniture." Drina said. Eric chuckled.

"Suit yourself. Now what can I help you with?"

"I need to get a hold of Godric and you're the only one I can think of who could help me with that." Drina explained. Eric's brow furrowed.

"Why do you need to get a hold of him?" Eric questioned.

"That's really none of your business." She responded. Eric's eyebrows went from being furrowed to raised.

"Well considering you're asking me for this favor I believe it is my business." He responded clearly offended. Drina realized there would be no way around explaining her situation, so she sat down readying herself for a long conversation.

"Well I haven't exactly had the easiest upbringing," she began. "I never knew my father and my mother was murdered when I was very young." Eric's expression did not change. "I got this scar because the man who murdered my mother was after me and she was trying to protect me."

"Why was the man after you?" Eric interrupted.

"That's the strange thing I've never figured out why the man wanted me. He scarred me in order to be able to come back and find me."

"Why wasn't he able to capture you the night her came for you?" Eric questioned.

"I'm not exactly sure. A woman was with him and kept urging him to leave; it seemed as though they were in some kind of hurry." Eric seemed to consider this for a few moments.

"How does Godric play into all of this?"

"Well I thought all of that was in my past until a couple of weeks ago I was sent the same knife that killed my mother and scarred me. I told Godric about all of this and he offered his protection to me. Then tonight while Jonah and I were eating dinner I saw the man that killed my mother."

"Are you certain it was him?"

"Positive. I've had the same nightmare since it happened and he always appears in it. Not to mention he was staring straight at me the entire time." Eric leaned back in his chair.

"I'll get a hold of Godric right away." Drina closed her eyes in relief.

"Thank you Eric."

Eric pulled out a small black cell phone and dialed a number. She heard Godric speak his name but Eric responded in a language she had never heard before. After a few minutes of talking Eric handed the phone to Drina.

"Drina?" She heard Godric speak.

"Yes it's me."

"I'm so sorry this happened. I travelled out of town to try to find some information that might shed some light on your situation. I've found some very interesting things I'll tell you when I get back."

"When will you be back?" Drina questioned.

"In about a week. Listen Drina you're not going to like this but I need you to stay with Eric while I'm gone."

"What?! Godric I—"

"This is the only way I can assure that you will be safe. I've told Eric to be on his best behavior. I know this may all seem unpleasant to you but I need you to listen to what Eric tells you, no matter how odd it may seem. I promise he will take good care of you." Drina paused for a long moment.

"Fine, but I'm not happy about this." Drina responded. Godric chuckled.

"I know, I'll see you soon, be safe." Godric responded before hanging up. Drina handed the phone back to Eric and he smiled.

"Looks like I'm finally going to get you all to myself." Eric said smiling.


	10. Chapter 10

"**The Getaway"**

"Don't make me back out of this." Drina said.

"It's too late for that." Eric smirked.

"Well, my dear, let's get you to my house."

"Wait, right now?" Drina questioned.

"Yes, of course." Eric started to walk towards the door. Drina grabbed his arm and felt a jolt of electricity. She had no clue if it was attraction or something much deeper. Eric looked surprised as if he felt it too. Drina chose to ignore it.

"Eric, I need to get my clothes and stuff." Eric rolled his eyes.

"Well I'll go with you then." This time it was Drina's turn to roll her eyes.

"Eric, I'm an adult. I think I can handle going to my house for a few minutes."

"You have no clue where this man is, he could be at your house right now for all you know. It would be incredibly foolish of you to go back unarmed and alone." Drina knew Eric was right though she would never admit it. So she brushed past Eric and walked out the door to break the news to Jonah.

As she walked out the door she realized Jonah had been eavesdropping and he looked pissed.

"You cannot seriously be thinking about going to this guy's house." Jonah said.

"Jonah, I don't have a better option. If Eric or Godric wanted me dead they would have killed me a long time ago."

"That doesn't he won't try to rape you, or torture you or something." Drina sighed.

"Jonah I can't argue about this right now, just trust me please." Jonah simply stormed off.

"Jonah, wait!" Drina shouted. Jonah spun around.

"What do you want me to say Drina, you're being an idiot, and I don't want to sit here and watch this all blow up in your face." Jonah continued to walk toward the exit. Drina shook her head. She would deal with him later.

Drina turned around to find Eric but he was already standing there leaning against his office door.

"Don't say a word." Drina cautioned. Eric smirked.

"Let's go out the back door to avoid any unwanted attention." Eric advised. As they walked toward the door Eric placed his hand on the small of Drina's back. She felt that jolt of electricity again and shivered. It wasn't unpleasant but unsettling. She had never felt this sensation before and she wasn't sure she liked it. As they walked out to the parking lot Eric steered Drina toward a very flashy cherry red Corvette.

"A Corvette?" Drina questioned raising her eyebrows.

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know, a nice Mercedes, a BMW, a coffin on wheels." Drina chuckled at her own joke. Eric simply rolled his eyes opening the passenger door for Drina.

The interior of the Corvette was smooth black leather. Drina closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. It still smelled new. She opened her eyes and found Eric's eyes staring at her.

"What? I like the smell of leather."

"Oh really? Good to know." Eric said in a suggestive tone.

"Hush it Northman, you know I didn't mean it like that."

"How do you know? You've never tried it before. Well that or anything else." Eric said chuckling. He started the engine and began to back out.

"Do you think I'm naïve just because I've never had sex?"

"Not naïve exactly, but there's a hold world you've never been opened up to before."

"And when it's time for me to experience that world I will." Drina replied.

"What makes you think you're not ready now?" Drina thought for a second studying the sharp lines of Eric's face.

"I just feel like I haven't found anyone worth doing it with yet."

"Well surely men have tried." He said questioningly.

"Well yeah, it's not like I'm completely innocent. I have done some things. I just haven't felt it necessary to go all the way yet." Eric nodded.

"I suppose I'll leave it at that for now." Eric said.

"You really think you're going to get me to have sex with you, don't you?" Drina laughed.

"Well, yes of course." Drina scoffed.

Eric turned to look at Drina.

"What? Do you not find me attractive?" Eric questioned in all seriousness. Drina fidgeted not wanting to admit her attraction to Eric.

"Well, I mean, I guess objectively I can see how some people might find you attractive." Drina stammered. Eric chuckled. She blushed furiously.

"Do you even know where I live?" Drina questioned.

"Of course." She raised her eyebrows immediately.

"I researched you." Eric responded nonchalantly.

"You researched me?" Drina said incredulously. "What did you google me?" Eric scoffed.

"Of course not; that would be ludacris. I have a gentleman who works for me. It's his job to find out information about the people I associate with." Drina scoffed.

"You have way too much money."

The car ride to Drina's house was relatively quiet. It was spent with Drina sneaking sidelong glances and Eric and trying to keep her breathing under control. Although she didn't like it Drina couldn't deny that she had a deep attraction to Eric. Unfortunately, no matter how much of an ass Eric was the attraction wasn't fading.

When they pulled up to the apartment Drina moved to get out of the car, Eric stopped her.

"I want to come in with you." Eric explained. Drina rolled her eyes.

"Eric I'll be two seconds." He looked stern but let go.

Drina ran into her apartment and attempted to gather all her personal belongings quickly. She shoved what seemed like half of her closet into a bag and entered her bathroom to gather her toiletries. As soon as she flipped on her bathroom light she let out a scream. The whole bathroom seemed to be painted red. A sharp metallic scent filled Drina's nose and it only took her a few seconds to realize her bathroom had been spattered in blood. The dark red had begun to congeal and Drina felt her stomach turn. She turned away to retch and ran smack into Eric.

"When did you get here?" she said beginning to gag. Eric pushed her out of the bathroom and shut the door.

He reemerged a few seconds later.

"Jonah?" Drina questioned trying to keep voice steady. Eric shook his head.

"It isn't human."

"So it's an animal?" She questioned. He shook his head once again.

"What do you mean? If it's not human, it has to be animal, right?"

"I'll explain later, but we need to leave." Eric grabbed Drina's bag and suddenly his arms were around her.

"Eric, what are you—"Suddenly they seemed to be flying and seconds later they were both in the Corvette again.

"What the hell?" Drina questioned.

"Perks of being a vampire." Eric answered before speeding off into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

**Roommates**

As Eric sped through the darkness Drina tried her best to clear her mind of what she had just witnessed. As hard as she tried the image of red seemed to be burned into her brain. Eric seemed to sense her rising panic and attempted to soothe her.

"Why don't we talk about something to get your mind off what you just saw." He suggested.

"Fuck!" Drina exclaimed.

"Well, we could do that instead if you'd like."

"No! I need to get ahold of Jonah and tell him to stay away from the apartment." Drina fumbled in her pockets to locate her cell phone, and then quickly dialed Jonah's number.

"What do you want?" Drina ignored Jonah's rude greeting.

"Jonah, you can't go back to the apartment, it's not safe. Eric and I were just there to get my stuff and someone splattered blood all over the bathroom."

"What?" Jonah's tone changed from one of annoyance to one of concern. "Are you alright?" Jonah immediately questioned.

"Yes, I'm fine. Clearly this guy knows where we live so you have to stay somewhere else. If you can't find a place I'm sure Eric will let you stay with him." Drina glanced over at Eric just in time to see him make a face of disgust. Somehow Drina sensed Jonah was making the same face on the other end of the line.

"No fucking way, I'll crash at Vinny's."

"Ok, be careful Jonah. I'm so sorry you got dragged into all of this." Drina answered.

"As pissed at you as I am right now you and I both now I dragged myself into it the day I met you eight years ago. And that's just how I like it so don't go blaming yourself." Despite the sense of impending danger Drina had she chuckled.

"Love you, Jones." Drina said before hanging up the phone.

"Love you?" Eric mimicked. Drina rolled her eyes.

"Not now Eric Jonah is my best friend on this planet so of course I love him."

"I hope you're aware he probably takes that to mean a different sort of love." Eric responded staring ahead. As much as Drina wanted to smack Eric she didn't have the time or energy to focus her attention on his childish thinking. She simply slunk down in the seat and hoped the car ride would be over soon.

About twenty minutes later Eric pulled off onto a long side rode enclosed by a very ornate wrought iron fence; about half a mile up the road laid one of the largest houses Drina had ever seen in her life. It looked more palatial than residential. The main building had wide French windows and branching from it were two slightly smaller sections of the home. Drina could see an elaborate fountain in the front yard and make out the details of a pool glimmering in the moonlight.

"What the actual fuck?" Drina exclaimed. Eric simply smiled.

"What the hell do you do exactly that gets you this kind of money? I know owning a bar isn't _that_ lucrative." Drina made a sweeping gesture toward the house.

"I've been around a very long time; long enough to acquire quite an impressive amount of money." Eric answered. Drina shook her head in disbelief.

"Clearly."

They drove down the road further until Eric parked his car in a garage underneath the house. Alongside two other flashy sports cars, Drina noted. She opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle and suddenly Eric's arm was on the small of her back again. She ignored the zinging sensation that passed between them. Even though it settled somewhere drastically lower on her body this time. Eric guided her to a small glass door which turned out to be an elevator.

"Christ an elevator, who needs an elevator in their home." Drina muttered before stepping in.

"I do, the house has four levels." Eric responded. He hit a tiny button labelled "2" and up they went.

As soon as the door to the elevator opened Drina's jaw dropped. They had stopped at a gargantuan room, surprisingly very tastefully decorated. The main color scheme was white with black accenting various pieces of furniture and rugs. Drina was actually quite impressed that the house didn't echo the tacky decorum of "Fangtasia". Drina noticed various foreign knick knacks adorning counters and tables.

"This place is beautiful." Drina said.

"Thank you. Now your room will be the first door on the left on the third floor. Drop your stuff off and come down; we need to talk about something I'm sure you'll find unpleasant." With trepidation, Drina walked toward the elevator wondering what Eric could possibly want to talk about. She entered the elevator and pressed the "3".

Drina stepped off the elevator and immediately entered the room to the left. It was just as extravagant as the rest of the house. The whole room was in a beige color scheme and a large king sized bed was set in the center of the room. Drina saw a bathroom connected to the main section of the room. Drina tried not to linger too long and headed back downstairs where Eric was lounging on a leather couch nursing a dark red drink Drina assumed was blood. He looked up as she sat next to him.

"What I'm about to say is going to upset you. However, I just want you to bear in mind that you told Godric you would listen to me and that I only have your best interest in mind." Eric began. Drina nodded for him to continue.

"You are my responsibility, at least until Godric comes back. There are ways vampires can take extra precautions to protect the humans they vow to protect." Drina stared blankly trying to understand. Eric continued. "If a human ingests a vampire's blood a certain bond forms between the two. The vampire from that point on will be in tuned to the human's emotions and will be able to sense when they are in danger. It also helps the vampire track the human's whereabouts." Realization crossed Drina's face.

"Oh no, no, no, no! I am not drinking your blood that is disgusting. I'm not a vampire; I have no interest in blood."

"It's not as bad as you might imagine. You only need to drink a drop and the connection will be made. Though, the more blood you drink the stronger the connection." Drina was utterly creeped out and honestly couldn't tell if this was a ploy Eric had invited so she whipped out her cell phone quickly and turned to Eric.

"I want to talk to Godric to make sure this isn't some weird trick." Eric nodded and took her phone. He dialed a number and handed Drina the phone. She heard Godric's melodious voice answer.

"Godric, I'm really sorry to interrupt you but I just need to ask a question. Eric claims there's a connection that forms when a human drinks a vampire's blood. He said I should drink his blood so he can better keep a watch over me."

"Unfortunately he isn't lying my dear. I think it would be helpful for both of you if you did drink his blood, for your safety. I know it will be unpleasant but it is the best." Drina sighed. She figured it couldn't get much worse anyway.

"Thank you Godric, see you soon." Drina responded

"Vexo vostede en breve meu querido." He responded before hanging up.

"Alright let's get this over with." Drina said to Eric. Eric moved closer to Drina and her heart rate accelerated rapidly. Eric raised his wrist to his mouth.

"Wait what are you doing?" Drina questioned.

"Biting my wrist to give you my blood; unless you prefer it from my neck?" Eric questioned.

"I, uh, I think your wrist will be fine." Drina stammered.

Eric once again brought his wrist up to his mouth and his fangs emerged. Drina winced as Eric bit into his own wrist. He offered Drina his wrist. She hesitated a moment before leaning down. Her lips touched his wrist and her tongue darted out. The second his blood hit her tongue she tasted sharp metallic as she expected, though as soon as she began sucking she tasted something else. She tasted undertones of musky sweetness and suddenly a feeling of sheer ecstasy spread through her. She edged closer and felt her bare arm touch Eric's. This time, to her embarrassment, as the electricity passed between them she let out a moan. She quickly disengaged from Eric's wrist and slapped her hand against her mouth, feeling a deep blush spread across her face. Eric chuckled.

"I-I don't know why—"

"It's alright Drina it's perfectly natural to feel arousal during the process it—" Drina jumped up.

"That was not arousal; it was just an involuntary noise, nothing more." Drina tried to explain while wiping the remainder of Eric's blood from her mouth.

"Yes, a sound that usually accompanies the feeling of arousal." Eric responded. Drina rolled her eyes.

"Sweet innocent little Drina. I can tell when you're aroused. Not only does this new bond tell me what emotions course through your brain but I'm designed to sense the physiological changes in my prey." Eric said getting up and walking toward Drina. He gently touched her arm and her heart rate picked up again.

"The increase in your beating heart." He said moving behind her. He gathered her hair and pushed it to the side. He gently caressed her neck. Drina stood stock still unable to move. She was paralyzed by her sudden lust for a man she was sure she hated. "The sweat on the side of your neck." He leaned down setting his lips millimeters away from her ear.

"The scent of your warm wetness." He whispered. Drina quickly moved away and turned to Eric.

"I'm going to bed." Drina blurted out abruptly dashing toward the elevator and leaving a chuckling Eric standing in the foyer.


	12. Chapter 12

**Dreams and Nightmares**

_Eric was so close to Drina that she could smell his cool sweetness. His tall from was mere inches from hers and she wanted to reach out and touch him. His cool hand reached out and touched her burning cheek. _

_ "Eric, please." Drina whimpered. Suddenly his lips were on hers and Drina let out a moan of pleasure. His large hand reached down to stroke her most intimate parts; her knees almost buckled from underneath her. He gently laid her on his plush bed and continued to caress and kiss her. The passion in her mounted as she began removing his shirt and pants. He was already ready for her. He deftly unbuttoned her blouse and removed her pants kissing along her smooth stomach. As he moved lower his lips reached his destination and she let out a gasp. His tongue delved between her folds as he found her sensitive core. Drina's hips moved in rhythm with his tongue and she felt pressure building deep within her. Her fingers grasped at the delicious sensation as she buried her hands in Eric's thick hair._

_ "Yes, please don't stop." She cried as he continued his delicious assault. The pressure continued building until she felt as if gravity itself could no longer hold her._

_ "Oh fuck, Eric!"_

Drina shot straight up in bed drenched in cold sweat. Her hair was a tangled mess and her cheeks were flushed with the after effects of her dream.

"Christ." Drina muttered laying back down smothering the remnants of the dream with her pillow. She heard a muffled grunt and looked up in shock to find Eric leaning against her doorway. She let out a huge sigh knowing full well Eric was aware of what had just occurred.

"I heard you shout my name, figured you might be in some sort of trouble." Eric said smirking.

"You know full well I wasn't trouble so you can just leave." Drina replied irritated. Eric inched closer to her bed.

"Are you sure, we could work on fulfilling whatever fantasy it is you were just having." Drina launched one of the pillows from her bed toward Eric but he deftly dodged it.

"Get out!" Drina shouted and Eric turned disappearing from the room while chuckling to himself.

"Prick." Drina muttered to herself.

"I heard that!" Eric shouted from somewhere outside the room.

"Good!" Drina replied.

She looked at the small clock on her bedside table. It read 4:45 AM. Drina collapsed back onto the bed hoping to avoid any more unsavory sex dreams.

The next morning Drina awoke at around noon; thankful that she hadn't been burdened by another nagging dream. She quickly got up and decided to take a shower. To her surprise the shower was big enough for at least ten people and had three adjusting faucet heads. She also noticed Eric had taken the liberty of stocking the bathroom with various toiletries. She shuddered to think he may have already stocked the bathroom for previous lovers. She tried to put it out of her mind as she enjoyed the feel of the warm water pulsating on her back.

After her shower she quickly dressed and headed downstairs. Obviously, Eric was asleep for the day and Drina had no clue how to occupy herself for the day. As she headed for the kitchen Drina was shocked to find someone standing there already. The woman was fairly old, in her early sixties with graying hair and an apron. She had a maternal feel to her.

"Hi?" Drina said questioningly.

"Oh, good you're up. I'm Sylvia, Eric's day housekeeper. He told me he would have a guest staying with him. I figured I'd make you some breakfast before you got up."

"Wow thank you." Drina replied before sitting in one of the barstools near the kitchen counter. Sylvia deposited a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Drina and she began eating hungrily.

"This tastes like heaven." Drina said, continuing her meal. Sylvia smiled.

"Eric told me to tell you that you can use as many of the amenities in his home as you wish, but he prefers you don't leave the house." Drina scoffed at the statement. By "preferring she didn't leave the house" Drina knew he really meant, "Don't leave the house or I'll have someone drag your ass back inside."

After she finished her breakfast she honestly had no clue what she was going to do for the next 8 or so hours; she busied herself by doing a little tour of the house. Every inch was as immaculate as the last and as Drina wandered through each floor she found many interesting things. There was a very impressive indoor gym in one of the rooms and in another a home theater, but what Drina was most amazed at was the library housed in a room on the third floor. It seemed massive and every wall was lined with shelves of hundreds and hundreds of books. It seemed never-ending. The collection contained virtually every classic known to man along with more recent fiction and even medical books. Drina busied herself by pulling out one of her favorites, Lolita. She curled up in a corner of the room and began immersing herself in a tale that was already etched in her brain.

As the hours passed Drina failed to notice the daylight dwindling and had just started reading the scene where Humbert Humbert makes his fateful entry into Quilty's home.

"Well, hello there." Drina jumped about a foot in the air at the sound of Eric's voice.

"Jesus Eric you almost gave me a heart attack." Eric chuckled.

"Wait, what time is it?" Drina questioned.

"About 8:30." Eric responded. Drina jumped up.

"Oh my god, I've been here all day." Eric picked up the book Drina had left behind and looked at the cover.

"Lolita, huh? I would not have pegged you as a Nabokov fan." Drina stretched and noted Eric giving her a thorough stare.

"It's one of my favorites." She responded. Eric's eyebrows rose.

"You don't find it disturbing?"

"Well of course at times it's uncomfortable, but the purpose of literature is to make the reader question, question life, question decisions, and especially question morality. Although most would agree Humburt Humburt is despicable you can't help but feel sorry for him by the time it's all over. If not for anything but the love and obsession he had that was never requited." Eric moved closer.

"I didn't realize what an intellectual you are." He said. Drina chuckled.

"Why, because I'm just some silly 19-year-old wasting her life playing in a band? Trust me Eric if I could I would go to college but I've never had much money." Eric shot her an unreadable look.

"Well, I wouldn't mind paying for you to go to college." Eric suggested. Drina scoffed.

"Eric, I am not fishing for your money. There's no way I could ever pay you back and god knows what else you'd be expecting." Eric moved closer and touched Drina's arm.

"You really think I'm a villain don't you?" He questioned. Drina leaned toward Eric.

"No, I don't believe anyone is that simple. I think you put up a pretty great villainous façade though." Eric laughed and Drina smiled.

"When is the last time you ate?" Eric questioned.

"Uh, I guess when I got up."

"Well you need to eat, why don't we go out somewhere?" Drina rolled her eyes.

"I am not going out on a date with you Eric Northman." Eric feigned surprised.

"A date is the furthest thing from my mind. You need to eat and I'm simply offering a meal." Drina knew she would give Eric the wrong idea if she accepted but she didn't know the next time she would be able to leave the house. Drina crossed her arms over her chest considering the offer.

"Fine, but this doesn't mean anything. It's just a meal." Drina cautioned.

"Oh, of course." Eric gave Drina a charming grin. "Now go put on the nicest thing you have."

"Eric, I'm fine with an Applebee's or something." Eric gave her a disgusted look.

"I would never enter an Applebee's."

"You won't even be eating." Drina said.

"Doesn't matter, I won't be watching you eat that trash." Drina once again rolled her eyes and headed upstairs to find something appropriate to wear.

Drina hoped she packed something wearable but doubted she did. She rummaged through her bag and was about to give up the search when a black cocktail dress caught her eye.

"Thank god." Drina said to herself clutching the garment to her chest. It had been her mother's and was one of the only things she was able to recover from her childhood home. It was a form fitting dress with a plunging neckline; Drina slipped the dress on and was pleased with the result. The dress clung to her curves and displayed her ample bosom. It fell just above her knees and she smiled while appraising herself in the mirror.

"Thank god I ended up the same size you were momma." She whispered. She quickly applied her makeup and brushed out her hair. She searched for a decent pair of shoes to wear. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized she had packed a pair of heels. She quickly slipped them on and set out to find Eric.

She found Eric sitting at the kitchen counter already ready to go. Her heart rate increased as she appreciated Eric's tall form covered by a very expensive looking suit. She blushed as Eric blatantly raked his eyes over her body. He smiled.

"You look delicious enough to eat." He commented. Drina's blush deepened.

"Well you won't even be touching me much less eating me." She deadpanned. He got up and walked up to Drina gesturing her to walk ahead of him. She was struck by his chivalry, and then Drina reminded herself it was probably simply because Eric wanted to stare at her ass. As they walked to Eric's car he put his hand on the small of her back and she felt the same familiar spark. A deep lust blossomed within Drina, and she tried to push it away before Eric could catch wind of it.

As they entered his garage they did not head for his Corvette, rather he steered her toward a jet black Mercedes.

"More what you were thinking?" Eric questioned while opening Drina's door. Drina shook her head smiling and silently questioned how she would get through the night pretending she wasn't insanely attracted to this man.


	13. Chapter 13

***Hey guys just a quick message before I get into the next chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read my story and stuck with it. I know it's moved somewhat slow! Anyhow, if you have any suggestions or comments let me know, I live for that stuff! **

**A Night to Remember**

The drive to the restaurant was pleasantly quiet. Not an awkward silence but one that wrapped around her and comforted her. It surprised Drina that she was so comfortable around Eric; it was not something she expected. Drina felt drunk off Eric's heady scent and she enjoyed the sensation. About 20 minutes after the two left they pulled into the parking lot of what looked like a very expensive French restaurant.

"Eric this doesn't look cheap." Drina said, caution in her voice.

"That's because it's not. What did you expect when I asked you to put on the nicest thing you had?" Eric questioned.

"I don't know, but definitely not a five-star restaurant."

"Well just sit back and relax."

"Remember, this is just a meal." Drina said once again before they pulled up to the entrance. A young man ran up to park the car. Eric walked around to the passenger door and opened it for Drina. She stepped out and looked around in awe. The building looked elegant but aged. The lighting inside the restaurant was dim but beautiful and a young woman led them to their table. It was in a private room situated away from the other patrons. Eric pulled Drina's chair out for her and then sat down. Drina raised her eyebrow at him.

"All this chivalry." She said dryly.

"I was taught to treat women with respect." Eric answered. Drina laughed out loud.

"Did you tell the blonde you were fucking in your office that?"

"I treat women the way they expect to be treated. That woman had no interest in being courted; she had one thing in mind and that's what I gave her."

"How thoughtful of you." Drina took a sip of her water. "Where is it you were raised anyway?" Drina questioned, pushing her luck.

"That's a story for another evening." Eric answered enigmatically. Drina shifted in her seat.

"You know pretty much everything about me. It's only fair I should know about you, especially if you're planning on ever sleeping with me." Just as Drina finished speaking the waiter approached.

"How has your evening been? May I start you two off with any appetizers or wine?" He questioned.

"I'll just be having a TruBlood for the evening, but will you bring us a bottle of your dom ramonet montrachet grand cru le puligny cote de beaune please?" Eric said in what sounded like perfect French.

"Right away sir." The waiter responded before leaving them alone again.

"Don't think that extremely long wine name distracted me from what I asked you." Drina said. Eric chuckled.

"I doubted it did. Sadly, my life as a human was so long ago I only have vague memories." Drina rolled her eyes.

"Bullshit." Eric feigned a shocked look.

"Such foul language from such a lovely young woman."

"Stop stalling." Drina pushed.

"My life as a human is not something I particularly enjoy talking about, but if you must know I was born in what is now known as Sweden."

"Makes sense, you look like a Swede. Exactly how long ago were you born?" Eric seemed to be considering if he was going to answer Drina's question or not.

"I was born around 1,200 years ago, give or take a few decades." He finally answered. Drina tried her best not to look shocked but she remembered Eric could feel her emotions, so it was a moot venture either way.

"Wow. That's uh, wow." Drina let out a breath of air she didn't know she had been holding. Eric sat back giving her a look that said, "I knew you couldn't handle it". The waiter came back at that moment saving Drina from having to respond immediately. He set the bottle of wine on the table and set a TruBlood in front of Eric. He poured a glass for Drina and then stepped back.

"Do you know what you'd like to order, mademoiselle?" Drina picked the first thing she saw.

"The filet mignon with garlic whipped potatoes please." The waiter nodded

"How would you like that cooked?" Drina thought for a moment.

"Medium-rare, please." The waiter nodded once again and left the two alone. Drina took a sip of wine before answering Eric.

"I'm just surprised you're that old. I mean I knew you were no spring chicken, but 1,200 years?"

"Yes, it is a long time, especially for someone of your age. I imagine it's almost impossible for you to comprehend all that time." Eric said.

"Yes, that's true. I just don't know exactly what to think. So if you were born in Sweden around 1,200 years ago does that mean you were like—a Viking or something?" Drina was joking but realized it was no laughing matter when she saw Eric give a sincere nod. Drina tried to hold in laughter but ended up doubled over.

"Oh my god, I can imagine you in braids and some weird horned hat sitting next to Lief Erichson." Eric rolled his eyes.

"I never even met Lief Erichson." Drina sobered after a moment.

"What a shame." She replied.

"Not every Viking knew Lief Erichson." Eric replied, smiling.

"Well then, question two: how old were you when you were changed?" Eric didn't hesitate this time.

"I had just turned 32."

"So you're not that much older than me in human years."

"No, I suppose I'm not." Eric responded.

"I guess that makes me feel a little better."

"Does it?"

"Not really." Drina admitted.

"Well I don't think there is anything for me to say that will make you feel more at ease. However, I will say this: for me age is irrelevant, it has to be. After being alive for so long it is almost impossible for me to find someone near my age. So to me, you being 19 is no different than someone who is 28, 50, or 99." Drina thought for a moment.

"I can see the validity in what you're saying but let me play devil's advocate for a moment. The way I see it the difference between being 19 or 28 or 50, or 1,200 for that matter, is life experience." Eric took a sip of his TruBlood.

"That is true; however, some are born with an innate sense of insight to the world around them. I believe you are one of those people." Drina sighed. She had been hearing the same thing over and over again in different ways but it all meant the same thing: she was different. Eric reminding her of her difference brought back a question that had never been answered.

"By the way, you never explained to me what type of blood was in my bathroom."

"This is not really the place to discuss that." Eric responded.

"That may be so, but I would still like to know."

"I fully plan to explain to you when we're back at my place."

"I'm holding you to that Northman." Drina said as the waiter walked up to the table with her food.

She momentarily forgot her threats as she dug into her food. She closed her eyes and reveled in the taste of the food.

"Enjoying yourself?" Eric questioned, smiling.

"Shutup." Drina said with a mouthful of steak. As Drina continued her meal she thought of another question.

"Do you ever miss eating food?" Eric sat back.

"I suppose I miss the different flavors of food, but overall no. Feeding from a human is so much more sensual. The feel of their pulse beneath your lips, the sensation of the warm blood hitting your tongue is beyond erotic. Not to mention every human has their own unique taste. Some are sweet and warm like cinnamon. Others are sharp and intoxicating like a bubbling glass of champagne." Drina didn't know how but Eric had managed to make the idea of sucking blood completely arousing.

Drina knew it was no use trying to cover her lust as she set down her fork and gave Eric a heavy-lidded look. Eric attempted to reach for Drina's hand but as soon as they made contact a strong pulse rushed through Drina and felt as though it shot through her hand. The shock seemed to take Eric aback and he rubbed his hand as if he had just pulled it from a fire. As Drina was about to apologize her vision became hazy and she was suddenly very nauseous. She leaned forward and knocked her glass of wine over. The last thing Drina remembered was falling out of her chair and Eric's concerned face hovering inches from hers.

As Drina came to the first thing she noticed was she was no longer in the fancy restaurant; she was lying in a bed and as she rolled over she felt herself pushed up against a very cool, hard body. Drina shot straight up. As her consciousness fully returned to her she was aware she was in her room in Eric's house and that he was lying right beside her. She looked down to check if she was decent and noted with surprise that she was wearing a tank- top and sweats, as opposed to the dress she had been wearing before.

"Eric, what the hell are you doing in bed with me, and did you change me?" She crossed her arms over her chest waiting for an answer. Eric sat up as well.

"I was concerned. I wanted to keep a close eye on you, and yes I changed your clothes because you've been out since last night." Drina was shocked.

"You mean I've been asleep for a whole day?"

"Well, technically you were passed out, but yes." Drina set her hand to her forehead and realized she was burning up.

"What's wrong with me?" Drina asked turning to Eric for answers. Eric moved closer.

"Don't be afraid. I was concerned at first as well, but I called Godric and he has found out a lot of things that may clarify your situation." Drina positioned her body toward Eric and crossed her legs, preparing to hear the explanation.

"But before I get into that I think it's time to explain the blood on your mirror." Eric responded with a mysterious look on his face.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Revelation **

As Eric began his explanation Drina tried to stay patient but she could feel her anxiety level rising.

"So you told me the blood on my mirror was neither human nor animal. What did you mean by that? Is it vampire?" Drina asked. Eric immediately shook his head.

"This is going to be difficult for me to explain. For someone who has lived their whole life viewing the world one way I'm going to need you to be open-minded." Drina nodded waiting for him to continue.

"When you heard of the existence of vampires did you ever consider the possibility of other creatures being in the world?" Eric questioned.

"Maybe I did. I guess I never really thought about it. When you say, "Other creatures" do you mean like werewolves and ghosts and such?" She asked.

"Yes, werewolves are one such creature, as for spirits I haven't had much experience with them but that doesn't mean they don't exist." Drina tried to wrap her brain around the idea of big furry man-wolves running around but Eric didn't stop to let her process the idea.

"Along with werewolves there are: demons, goblins, dwarves, elves, fairies, witches, angels, and whole plethora of other supernatural creatures." Drina stared silently at Eric trying to figure out if he was joking or not. He did not laugh or even smile so she figured he must have believed what he was saying.

"Are you crazy?" Drina immediately asked. Eric looked exasperated.

"No, my dear girl, I am not crazy. Like you said I've had 1,200 years of life experience and I can personally guarantee you I have met at least one of each of the creatures I listed." Drina wrapped her arms around herself, trying to focus on not bolting out of the room.

"Who can I possibly believe any of what you're saying?"

"Right now I could take you to a number of establishments owned and operated by several of the beings I have named." Drina still didn't know is she could trust what he was saying.

"That just doesn't make any sense. If vampires chose to make themselves known why wouldn't all these other things follow suit?" Once again Eric gave Drina a look that said, "are you mentally impaired?"

"For some, vampires were sort of the test run for all supernaturals. So the other races could gauge how humans would react. For others secrecy is the only safe way of life and a code they must live by." Drina turned toward Eric again.

"Okay, let's say all of what you're telling me is true, which I doubt it is, what type of "supernatural's" blood was on my mirror, and why?" Eric's brow furrowed.

"This is where things get a little complicated." Drina scoffed. "I wasn't quite sure what type of blood was on the mirror. I could tell it wasn't human, and it definitely wasn't vampire, but it can be difficult to differentiate between different supernaturals. Once I tasted it I also ruled out werewolf and demon, but I was stuck between two. The blood was sweet much like fae, but angel blood can also taste similar." Drina tried to digest the information.

"You tasted the blood?" Drina asked cringing.

"That's what you're concerned about?" Eric said glaring at Drina.

"So why would there be some kind of mythical creature's blood on my mirror?" Drina asked once again. Eric paused for the first time during the conversation, seeming to debate whether he should answer her question or not.

"Eric…" Drina cautioned moving closer.

"I think I need to wait for Godric to come back, considering he has discovered most of the information about you. Before you find anything else out I think you should come with me to experience supernaturals. If you're feeling up to it that is." Eric suggested. Drina immediately jumped at the opportunity.

"That sounds good. What does one wear to meet supernaturals?" Drina said while rising from the bed, Eric grabbed her arm to stop her.

"One more thing, the supernatural world is much different from the human world. There are different rules and customs, and most supernaturals have a strong belief in the idea of "territory". While we intermingle with them I need you to be comfortable with acting as though you're mine."

"Yours?" Drina questioned.

"Yes, you must stay by my side at all times, and don't be surprised if I keep my hand on you most of the night." Drina rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but keep your hands off my ass and tits." Drina said, stepping into the bathroom.

"I'll try my best." Eric chuckled as he left her room.

About a half an hour later Drina emerged from her room, freshly showered and ready to leave. She had opted for a simple pair of jeans and tank top, considering Eric hadn't given her a dress code. She headed downstairs and to her surprise Eric was dressed very casually as well. He was in a black shirt and jeans.

"Wow, didn't know you owned a pair of jeans." Drina said.

"Only a few." Eric responded stepping toward Drina.

"So, where is it that we're going?" Drina asked as he steered them toward the door.

"Just a little nightclub that attracts all kinds of supernaturals." Drina laughed.

"A nightclub? Like Fangtasia?" Eric nodded.

"Yes, except it attracts much more than just vampires and humans." Drina tried not to overanalyze his remark as they headed for the car.

The first few minutes of the drive were silent as Drina tried to focus on not hyperventilating. She didn't know why she was so nervous, this was all probably some big joke Eric was playing on her. Eric sensed her anxiety and touched her hand, it immediately soothed her. She was still baffled by the fact that one minute Eric could be a pompous pervert and the next he could be a gentleman. Suddenly, Eric spoke, breaking Drina's train of thought.

"When we arrive at the club I need you to try your best to stay quiet and inconspicuous. The fact that you're a human will already draw enough attention. I know it will kill you, but please just try to act like you are my arm candy." Drina laughed out loud.

"I don't think anyone will believe that." She commented.

"Why is that?" Eric responded. Drina immediately regretted she had said anything.

"Well it's just—I mean, look at you, and then look at me." Drina stammered. Eric turned to look at Drina; he had a very disapproving look on his face.

"Drina, don't be dense, you're beautiful." Drina's face flushed a deep red.

"You don't have to say that." Drina responded quietly. Suddenly Eric pulled over on the side of the road.

"Eric, what the hell are you doing?" Drina asked. Eric turned toward Drina and grasped her face in his hand.

"Listen to me very closely. I have seen many women in my lifetime and when I say you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen you can be sure I know what I'm talking about." Drina attempted to pull away in embarrassment but Eric held on tight.

"I know your scar bothers you, but it shouldn't. What defines beauty, at least to me, is imperfection. And please don't take that the wrong way, all I'm trying to say is your scar adds to your beauty, not detracts from it." Drina was at a loss for words, and Eric seemed to sense that. He simply took his hand away from Drina's face and began driving again.

As they continued to drive Drina kept trying to find the right words to say but simply couldn't. She quietly stared out the window trying to understand why Eric was being so nice. After what seemed like an eternity they pulled into a packed parking lot. The building was situated to the side of the parking lot and was painted black. It was about the same size as Fangtasia but she couldn't see a name anywhere on the establishment. As they stepped out of the car Drina suddenly had a very sick feeling in her stomach, like she didn't want to go anywhere near this place. Her instincts were telling her to run in the opposite direction as fast as possible. Just as she was considering bolting, Eric wrapped his arm around her waist and bent down.

"The reason you're feeling so uneasy is because the club is surrounded by a ward." He whispered.

"A ward?" Drina repeated.

"It's a sort of repellant witches can cast to prevent unwanted people or supernaturals from coming in. In this case I believe the ward is to repel humans, but it's nothing to worry about, it can't hurt you physically, and once you enter the club it will dissipate."

"But if they don't want humans here so badly that they're willing to cast a spell should I really be here?" Drina questioned. Eric laughed.

"You don't have to worry." Drina shook her head at Eric's arrogance.

The two walked up to the entrance and as they did Eric pulled Drina so close that she could feel the contours of his side pressed against her. There was a bouncer at the door. Drina was expecting trouble but the bouncer smiled a wide grin, exposing two rows of extremely sharp teeth. Drina grimaced; the bouncer's eyes flashed red.

"Eric!" He exclaimed, slapping him on the book. Eric nodded cordially.

"Jove." The bouncer suddenly turned toward Drina.

"Who's this little morsel?" He asked. Drina felt as though she wanted to hide behind Eric.

"Just a pet of mine." Eric responded. Drina wanted to smack him. The bouncer looked confused.

"That's odd. You're kind doesn't usually mix with hers." Drina suddenly became confused. Her kind? Aside from other vampires, wasn't her kind the only kind they mixed with? When Eric didn't respond the bouncer shrugged and stepped aside, allowing them to pass.

"What was he?" Drina asked.

"A demon." Eric responded. Drina didn't know how she would have imagined demons, but if she had to describe one it wouldn't have been Jove.

At first glance the club looked like any other. Gyrating bodies on a dance floor and a bar lining the wall. But as Drina looked closer she realized things were not as they seemed. Some of the "people" had an odd tinge to their skin while others were just flat out bright colors, such as green, and purple. Some had what looked like claws growing from their fingers, and others seemed grotesquely deformed. Drina was amazed and terrified at the same time. Eric steered Drina toward a couch near the wall and ordered a TruBlood and a drink for her.

"Eric, are you sure it's safe for me to be here?" Eric put his hand on her thigh.

"As long as they think you're just one of my playthings you'll be fine." He responded, smiling. Drina fumed.

"One of your playthings? As in you have many?" But before Eric could come up with a witty remark the two were approached by an extremely tall man with what appeared to be a tail.

"Eric." He said extending his arm. Eric shook his hand.

"Sobek." Eric responded. The man sat down next to Drina. She instantly felt uncomfortable. She studied the man's face. He looked fairly normal, with tan skin and bright green eyes. The only oddity was the long tail lying inches away from Drina. It looked scaly and somehow slimy at the same time; she immediately burst out in laughter. Both Eric and Sobek gave her a shocked look.

"What is this, a joke?" Drina said. "Did you hire someone to dress up or what?" She said. Before Eric could stop her Drina had reached out and grabbed a hold of Sobek's tail. She pulled with extreme force and realized too late that it was real. Sobek growled in anger and pain as he lunged toward Drina. Eric immediately stepped between the two but before he could touch Sobek he had gone up in flames. Shocked, Eric turned toward Drina and realized it had come from her. Drina stood still in shock, looking at her hands. Eric wasted no time in scooping up Drina into his arms and lifting out of the club. As they landed in the parking lot Eric set Drina down.

"Did you just fucking fly?" Drina asked in shock.

"Did you just set a man on fire with your hands?" Eric responded. Drina paused.

"Good point, let's get out of here." She said as she climbed into the passenger seat. As the two pulled away from the club Drina could hear the panic they had caused.

As Eric drove Drina stayed silent still staring at her hands and trying to figure out exactly what had happened. She chose to ignore it for the moment.

"So who was that man anyway?" She asked.

"As you heard, his name is Sobek. He comes from a long line of ancient reptile-human hybrids. Their kind was worshipped as gods in Ancient Egypt." Eric explained.

"Hence the name. Cute." Drina scoffed. Drina was out of questions and knew she had to address what happened.

"So I suppose we need to talk about what happened." She started. Eric sighed.

"I really wanted to wait for Godric to return." Drina rolled her eyes.

"You can't leave me waiting for several days, I deserve to know what's going on." She said. Eric sighed once again.

"I know. I can tell you what I know but Godric knows much more."

"That's fine; I just need to know something. Anything." For the second time that night Eric pulled to the side of the road. He turned to Drina.

"Before I tell you I need to make sure you are open-minded to the fact that there is a world full of supernaturals." Drina nodded.

"I think that was proven when I pulled on the tail of a reptile-human." She said. Eric half-heartedly attempted to smile.

"From what I have learned from Godric it sounds as though you're not exactly human."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"The fact that you're beginning to manifest superhuman abilities paired with the fact you've been hunted your whole life leads both Godric and I to believe you're at least partially something else." Eric explained.

"No. no, no, no," Drina exclaimed folding her arms across her chest.

"Godric suspected you weren't totally human when he met you. He has travelled to a few different counties to investigate." Drina felt tears well up in her eyes and before Eric could say anything else Drina opened the passenger door and stepped out.

"Drina!" Eric shouted stepping out of the car. Before Drina could turn to Eric a dark figure appeared before her wielding the same kind of knife that had scarred her. She attempted to run but the figure had already wrapped his arms around her and suddenly they were no longer on the road, but in a small, dark room.

"What the hell?" Drina breathed. The dark figure stepped closer and she realized it was a man. As he stepped closer Drina saw he was breathtakingly beautiful. He had a head full of soft brown curls and golden eyes, he stepped closer to Drina and her heart rate increased.

"Please don't be scared, I just want to talk." The man said stepping even closer to Drina, the knife in his hand glinting in the dim light.


	15. Chapter 15

***I have a quick afterthought post-chapter writing. I was planning on Drina and Eric's relationship progressing much slower. Unfortunately, sometimes you can't control what your characters do. Fortunately, I know you'll all enjoy it ;) **

**Night Terrors**

"If you just want to talk why do you need that knife?" Drina asked, her voice trembling. The man looked down at the knife as if he had forgotten he was holding it. He slipped it into a sheath on his pants.

"I don't want you to be afraid; I simply wish to speak peacefully with you." He answered.

"Then why did you snatch me up from the middle of the road and take me here?" Drina said as she was glancing around the room, hoping to spot some sort of indication as to where she was. "Speaking of, how did we get here?" She asked as an afterthought.

"That is not important right now. I don't have much time and I need to explain as much as possible." He said. "My name is Azrael, and I am what humans would call an Archangel." Drina's heart sped even faster. She feared this man was crazy, and if he was crazy who knew what kind of damage he could cause. She stayed silent trying to avoid eye-contact with him.

"I know this all must sound insane to you but that's because you were raised in the human world, which never should have happened." He said, sounding almost angry.

"I know you're father, he and I have always been very close. I promised him I would aid in protecting you."

"Protecting me? From what?" Drina asked.

"The Ark of the Covenant." He answered. Drina's head was spinning. She didn't know if this man was trying to hurt her or was simply insane.

"They are the ones who killed your mother and who have been tracking you all these years." He said. Just as he finished speaking he bent over and grasped at his head, as if he was in pain.

"I cannot stay here much longer, I'm not meant to be here. I wish I could tell you much more. I'll come back for you, until then please pay close attention to your dreams." He said before touching his hand to Drina's forehead.

In an instant Drina was back on the dark road facing Eric as if she had never left.

"Drina?" Eric questioned with a confused look on his face.

"How long was I gone?"

"Gone? What do you mean? You stepped out of the car and I followed you." Drina slowly walked back to the car and sat down, staring blankly ahead of her. Eric followed, positioning himself in the driver's seat.

"Drina what's going on?"

"There was a man. He took me to this room and told me he was an Archangel." Drina whispered. Eric looked concerned as he gently touched Drina's shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" He asked in a soft voice. Drina turned toward Eric, shrugging his hand off her shoulder.

"I'm not crazy. I know what it sounds like but I swear it happened. It's like he transported me into this room and then he told me all about this stuff. Like how he knew my father and was trying to protect me, and how these people called the Ark of the Covenant killed my mom." Eric sighed and began to pull onto the road. Drina felt her anger flare.

"You can think I'm crazy all you want but I know it happened. Ask Godric about some of the stuff I just told you, if he's been searching he should know about some of it already."

"I will, just let me get you back to my place first; you need some sleep."

Later that night Drina lay awake in her bed. She couldn't seem to push the experience out of her mind; the harder she tried to will herself to sleep the more anxious she became. After a few hours of sleeplessness she heard Eric enter the room and felt the weight of his body on the bed. She was too mentally exhausted to tell him to fuck off so she simply pretended she was asleep.

"I know you're not sleeping. I can feel it." Eric whispered. Drina let out a long sigh.

"Damn that's annoying." She responded. He chuckled before laying down next to her. After a few moments Drina turned on her side to face him.

"Eric, I'm scared." She whispered so softly that she hoped he couldn't hear it. She felt childish saying it, but it was the truth. Throughout her whole life she had been the only one there for herself, she could never afford to admit her fear. It was nice for once to be able to admit it to someone else.

"I can understand that, but there's nothing to be afraid of, what's the worst that could happen?"

"I could die." Drina muttered. To her surprise, Eric chuckled.

"Dying isn't so bad. Look at me." Drina laughed. She was silent for a few more moments, just reveling in the feeling of company.

"Why are you helping me?" She suddenly asked. Eric was silent for so long that Drina regretted asking the question.

"Because Godric asked me too." He answered. Drina scoffed.

"I don't believe that's the only reason. You were interested in me before Godric asked for your help. Be honest what do you really get out of helping me?"

"Well, If I'm being completely honest I'm not sure. All I know is since the moment I met you I have felt the urge to be around you. Sometimes I think it's just having your company; life can get a little lonely sometimes after so long." Drina wanted to cry. It was the first time since she had met him that he had been so vulnerable. So human.

What Drina did in the next few seconds shocked even her. In her shared revelation of loneliness with Eric she felt a strange connection with him. She moved closer to him, and for reasons unknown to even her, kissed him. Maybe it was the feeling of her own loneliness weighing her down. Maybe it was the way Eric had chosen to open up to her. For whatever reason she did it, kissing Eric was the best she had felt in a long time. Eric eagerly accepted her kiss and in a few short moments their lips were in perfect rhythm. The kiss quickly went from being exploratory to passionate and Drina began to feel heat build from within her. Eric pulled her closer to him and began exploring her body with his hands. Drina gasped as his lips moved hungrily from her mouth to her neck. He began to nibble gently and Drina felt his fangs scrape the soft skin underneath. She knew she should have stopped him but she just didn't want to. She was tired of resisting her attraction to him and it just felt so damn good to have him pressed against her. His hands made their way inside of her panties and she moaned as he began to touch and tease her. He seemed to know exactly how and where to touch her and her body seemed to writhe in rhythm with his fingers. He gently slid one finger inside her and Drina's head lolled back as he slid another one in. She was ready for him and as she slipped her hand down his pants she discovered he was ready for her too.

Drina pulled her lips away from Eric and looked into his eyes.

"I'm ready, I want to do it." She whispered. Eric looked unsure.

"Are you positive you want to?" He asked. Drina nodded; she was tired of overthinking things. Eric smiled.

"Stand up." He instructed. Drina furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"What? Why?" She asked.

"Just do it." He said. Drina slowly got up from the bed. She looked to Eric in questioning.

"Take off your shirt." Eric whispered. She slowly grabbed the hem of her shirt and raised it over her head then threw it to the ground. Eric lay back appraising her with his eyes.

"Now your pants." She slipped down the sweat pants she was wearing and stepped out of them.

"Now your bra." Drina unhooked her bra and let it fall. Eric licked his lips. Drina felt herself begin to blush under Eric's scrutiny. In a flash, Eric was in front of her. He kneeled on the ground and began to lick and bite her breasts. Drina began to moan again. Eric's lips slowly travelled down her body until he reached her center. He slipped her underwear to the floor and began to lick and tease her core. She threw her head back as his tongue caressed her most sensitive parts. She gasped as he picked her up and laid her on the bed. He began kissing her again. She was shocked to feel he no longer had clothes on.

"When did you get naked?" She whispered. He chuckled.

"Well I had to catch up to you." Drina giggled. He resumed kissing her and after a few moments he had positioned himself at her entrance.

"This is going to hurt." He whispered softly. Drina nodded indicating her readiness.

She bit her lip as Eric began to push into her. Tears welled in her eyes as he pushed further and she dug her nails into his shoulders. He slowly thrust in and out and the pain began to subside. He felt so foreign and familiar at the same time as he thrust inside of her. She cried out, loving the feeling of the fullness. Suddenly, Eric had flipped them over so that she was on top of him. He guided her hips up and down until she was familiar with the rhythm. She felt tension begin to build within her and gasped as he reached to touch her. He circled his finger on her core to match the rhythm. As her hips continued to move up and down his shaft she felt the tension begin to mount. She cried out and tightened as her release washed over her. A few moments later, Eric followed suit crying out as he released inside of her. She slumped over onto his chest and they laid in silence for several seconds.

"I probably shouldn't have done that." Drina whispered.

"Did you enjoy it?" He asked.

"Of course. It was a lot different than I imagined my first time to be." She admitted.

"How did you imagine your first time?" He asked. Drina paused.

"I don't know probably in the back of some shitty car, getting groped in the dark." Eric laughed.

"You deserve a lot better than that. I did go easy on you. Next time it will be several times in one night." Drina pushed up to stare at Eric.

"You want to do it again?" Drina asked surprised.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? I haven't even begun to scratch the surface." Drina laughed.

"You scratched something." Drina grumbled rubbing her privates. Eric laughed.

"Here I can help with that." Drina watched curiously as Eric bit his finger, drawing blood. He reached between them and slipped his finger inside of her. Her pain subsided at the same time as her libido increased.

"I think I'm ready to try this sex thing again." Drina whispered breathlessly. Eric laughed as he leaned in to kiss her.

The next morning Drina woke up in the bed alone. She immediately regretted what she and Eric had done last night. Of course she had enjoyed it but she was afraid she had given Eric what he wanted too soon. It wasn't necessarily Eric's fault, she knew she had basically thrown herself at him last night but she had felt vulnerable. For a moment, being with Eric had made her feel better. She wasn't sure if she wanted to continue her physical relationship with Eric but she didn't want to think about it at the moment. As she headed downstairs she had no clue what she was going to do all day but she knew she couldn't stay cooped up in the house. As much as she knew Eric would be upset she decided to go out for the day, she needed to clear her head and put some distance between her and Eric.

.


End file.
